Baby Makes Three
by Vance McGill
Summary: Pre-Epilogue; Hermione has some news for Ron. He's going to be a father! Longer Summary inside. Ships: Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, others. Rated M just in case. COMPLETE!
1. Discovery

**Chapter 1**

**Discovery  
><strong>

**Summary: Post-Hogwarts, Pre-Epilogue. Hermione has some news for Ron. He's going to be a father! Follow the fun, delight, and mood swings that Ron has to put up with while taking care of his pregnant wife! Ships: Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, others. Rated M just in case.**

**Author's Note: This story sorta follows the storyline of "Harry Potter and the Return to Hogwarts", "Butterfly Kisses", and "Old Magic". But it starts 5 years after "Old Magic." Some facts will be changed to coincide with the Epilogue of Deathly Hallows.**

**(Hermione's PoV – September 15****th****, 2005)**

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

Hermione Weasley reached over to the bedside table and pressed snooze on the alarm clock. She yawned and sat up. She yawned and opened her eyes. Her husband, Ron, was asleep beside her, his arms wrapped around her.

"Ron," Hermione said, "You have to be at the Auror Department in an hour. You better get up."

"Five more minutes, Mum," Ron muttered, sleepily.

Hermione rolled her eyes and slapped Ron's back.

"Ow!" Ron groaned, opening his eyes.

"I'm not your Mum!" Hermione said, sighing, "Now get up if you want me to cook you breakfast before I have to get ready for work."

"Relax, Hermione," Ron said, "I know you're not my Mum. You're my loving, adorable wife."

"Well, I'm happy you finally learned it after five and a half years of marriage," Hermione said.

Ron chuckled. Hermione shook her head and sat up. The sunlight streamed in through the window of their house in London, England. They had only had the house for a few months now, after having lived in Shell Cottage for five years.

Ron's brother Bill, and his wife, Fleur, had given them Shell Cottage when Hermione and Ron got married. Bill and Fleur had moved out and into the Burrow with Ron's parents. It had been easier to raise their daughter, Victoire in a larger house.

Hermione and Ron had decided to wait for children for a few years into their marriage, so they could focus on their careers. Hermione was now the founder and Head of the small department that focused on House-Elf Welfare, which was a branch of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and had been so for the past couple of years now. Ron was a high-ranked Auror, along with his best mate, Harry Potter.

Hermione stood up and suddenly felt dizzy.

"Whoa," she muttered, sitting back down.

"Something wrong?" Ron muttered.

"Stood up too fast," Hermione said, "I'm fine."

She stood up again and suddenly tasted bile in her mouth. She hurried out of the bedroom and toward the bathroom. She reached the toilet just in time, before she threw up into the toilet bowl.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, peering into the bathroom.

Hermione sighed and looked up from the toilet. Ron walked over to her and helped her sit down against the

bathtub.

"Are you okay?" he asked. 

"Food poisoning, I think," Hermione said.

"You should go back to bed," Ron said, "You can't go into work like this."

"But I have a big meeting today," Hermione said, "I have to!"

"You're the head of your department," Ron said, "You can change the time of the meeting."

Ron stood up and walked over to the sink. He took a small plastic cup and filled it with water, then handed it to Hermione. Hermione smiled at him gratefully and took the cup, then drank from it. She felt her stomach churn again, and hurried back to the toilet, and threw up again.

"Maybe I shouldn't go into work either," Ron said. "I can take care of you."

Hermione sat back against the side of the bathtub again.

"You're going, Ron," Hermione said, "Relax. This is probably a twenty-four hour bug. I'll be fine. I just need to go back to bed."

"I'll make you something before I go to work," Ron said, "Okay?"

Hermione nodded.

"Can you make it back to the bedroom without throwing up your guts again?" Ron asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I think I can manage, Ron," she said.

Ron nodded and walked out of the bathroom. Hermione stood up, and as she walked past the mirror, she realized something. She turned to the mirror and looked at herself. She didn't look too pale. She felt her head. It wasn't warm, so it couldn't be the flu.

"Oh," Hermione said, her eyes widening, "Ohh... it can't be."

Hermione's mind raced as she headed back to the bedroom. She walked over to the large oak desk and opened the top drawer in it. She took out a small booklet and opened it to a calender. She went back through the months in the calender, then back to the current month.

"Oh, Merlin," she muttered, "Could it be?"

"Hermione?" Ron said.

Hermione looked up. Ron was standing in the doorway.

"What do you want for breakfast?" he asked.

"I..." Hermione said, looking back at the calender, "I can make it myself."

"Hermione, you're sick," Ron said, "I'll do it."

"You're going to be late if you focus on me," Hermione said, "I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

Ron sighed and walked over to Hermione. He put his hand on her head.

"Well, you're not burning up," he said.

"See," Hermione said, "It's probably nothing."

"Perhaps it is stress," Ron said, "You need a day off. You've been very busy."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I'll be fine. Okay?"

Hermione pulled Ron toward her and kissed him.

"You just get ready for work," she said. 

Ron nodded. Hermione laid back on the bed and watched Ron as he walked around the room, looking for clothes for the day. She smiled as she glanced sideways at her calender. It was the middle of the second week of the month. She realized at that moment that she had missed her period. She felt tears come to her eyes. Could that really be what was going on? She and Ron had been trying for a while now.

"You okay?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione, putting on his sneakers.

Hermione looked back up at Ron and smiled. She couldn't tell him yet. She wasn't even sure herself. She would have to make sure of it before she told him.

"I'll be fine," Hermione said, "Just need some rest."

"Okay," Ron said, "I'll go to work then."

He walked over to Hermione.

"You send me a letter via Pigwidgeon if you need anything, okay?" Ron asked, "I'll apparate if I have to."

"I'll be fine," Hermione said, for what felt like the millionth time.

"I love you," Ron said.

Hermione smiled, and she felt her eyes water.

"I love you too, Ron," she said.

Ron smiled and kissed her, and she kissed him back. He walked out of the room. A little while later, as Hermione lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about what she might have discovered, she heard the tell-tale crack that meant Ron had apparated to work. Hermione stood up slowly and left the bedroom then walked toward the living room. She walked over to the fireplace and took out some Floo Powder. She created a fire, threw the powder in, then stuck her head in.

"St. Mungo's," she said.

A minute later, she could see the inside of a small office.

"Hello?" she called out, "Is anyone there?"

"Oh, hello," a witch said, walking into Hermione's view, "How may I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could set up an appointment," Hermione said.

"Is it urgent?" the witch asked.

"I think so," Hermione said.

She explained to the witch what was going on.

"Oh, well, then you shouldn't wait very long to find out!" the witch said, "I could set up an appointment for ten-o-clock this morning. I could get one sooner, but considering the possibility of your condition, it isn't a good idea to apparate or use the Floo Network for travel. I suggest the Knight Bus."

"Okay," Hermione said, "I'll be there at ten."

She told the witch her name and all the needed information.

"I'll have that appointment set up for you," the witch said, "Good luck!"

"Er... thanks," Hermione said, grinning.

-  
>A little over four hours later, Hermione was sitting in one of the hospital rooms in the maternity ward of St. Mungo's. She was dressed in hospital robes, and was bare underneath them. For the past hour, she had gone through procedures with Healer Janney, whom she was familiar with. Healer Janney had been present with Hermione's sister-in-law, Ginny had given birth to her and her husband, Harry Potter's, son a little over six months ago. Hermione had been at St. Mungo's with Ron, and the rest of their family on that day.<p>

The door to the room opened, and Healer Janney walked in, carrying some parchment.

"Hermione," Healer Janney said, "I have some news for you."

"I'm pregnant?" Hermione asked.

Healer Janney grinned.

"If I'm correct," Janney said, "which I usually am, I'd say you are almost six weeks into your pregnancy."

"Oh, my gosh," Hermione said, feeling tears in her eyes, "Six weeks?"

"I'd say conception was probably around the last week of July," Janney said.

"End of July," Hermione said, blushing.

"I take it you have a good idea of when it happened then?" Janney said, grinning.

"Er... I think so," Hermione said.

"Well, congratulations," Janney said, "This is your first time, is it not?"

"Oh, yeah," Hermione said.

Hermione suddenly felt a pressing feeling against her bladder.

"Er... I'll be right back," she asked, "I have to – er – use the little witch's room."

Healer Janney chuckled and nodded. Hermione stood up and raced toward the in-room bathroom, and sat on the toilet.

"That is to be expected, Mrs. Weasley," Janney said, outside the bathroom, "You'll find you'll be doing that a lot."

"Brilliant," Hermione said, "I'll just take up residency in my bathroom then."

When she was finished, she walked back into the room. 

"Do you wish for me to tell you what else you'll be expecting during the coming months?" Janney asked.

"Er... you don't have to," Hermione said, "I have four sisters-in-law, all who have been through this before. Between them and books, I think I'll be fine."

"Well then," Janney said, "I think we are finished for now. I'll probably be seeing you a lot in the next few months. That is... unless..."

"Unless what?" Hermione asked.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. Was the Healer going to ask her if she didn't want the baby? Hermione couldn't do that. She could never go through that process.

"Well, I saw in your information that you are Muggle-born," Janney said. "I've dealt with a few Muggle-born mothers-to-be over the years. There are always a few who are never sure if they want to be guided through with their pregnancy by a Healer or a Muggle doctor."

"Oh," Hermione said, "I hadn't thought of that. I'm not sure. My husband is a wizard and he'll probably trust Healers more. But... well, what do you suggest?"

"I've met quite a few Muggle doctors who deal with maternity, Mrs. Weasley," Janney said. "Muggles have genius ways of dealing with it. I only wish we could use some of their... machines, I think the word is."

"Oh?" Hermione said. "Right."

"I suggest that you and your husband talk about it," Janney said. "Do your research on both ways."

"Right... my husband," Hermione said, chuckling.

"You didn't tell him you thought you might be pregnant, did you?" Janney asked.

"No," Hermione said, "He just thought it was the flu or something."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be happy to hear the news," Janney said, grinning.

"I hope so," Hermione said.

"Was this planned?" Janney asked.

"We've been trying for a while now," Hermione said, "I just didn't realize... end of July, you said?"

"Yeah," Janney said.

"Wow," Hermione said, laughing.

"Congratulations, again," Janney said, "This is quite the early birthday present for you."

"Er... oh, right yeah," Hermione said, "My birthday's on Friday. In all this excitement, I sort of had forgotten."

"I'll just let you get dressed," Janney said.

Hermione nodded and Janney walked out of the room. Hermione took off the robes and looked at her belly. She felt tears in her eyes again. Was there really a child growing inside her? Her and Ron's own little bundle of joy?She chuckled to herself, as she wiped away her tears. As she got dressed, she wondered how to break the news to Ron. Then she realized the perfect time. She and Rupert would be celebrating her birthday with a private dinner at their house for her, which would happen Friday evening. She could tell him then. She just wondered if she could keep the secret until then.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – September 19<strong>**th****, 2005)**

"So, it is Hermione's birthday today," Harry asked, "Anything planned?"

Ron was sitting with Harry at the Leaky Cauldron, enjoying a small lunch during their break.

"She's taken the matter into her own hands," Ron said, shrugging, "She said she's fixing dinner for us tonight. I wanted to go out somewhere with her, but she insisted."

"Perhaps she isn't in the mood to go out today," Harry said. "Didn't you say she wasn't feeling very good?"

"I think she's been sick lately," Ron said, "But she doesn't want me to worry about it. She said she went to a Healer a few days ago. Healer Janney or something like that."

Harry suddenly coughed, choking on his butterbeer.

"You okay, mate?" Ron asked.

"Ye-yeah," Harry said, "Healer Janney, you said?"

"Er... yeah," Ron said, "Do you know them?"

Harry grinned and nodded.

"We've met," he said, "What has Hermione's symptoms been?"

"She's been puking her guts out the past few days," Ron said. "At random moments she races off to the bathroom. I'm worried about her, mate. What if it is something bad?"

"I don't think it is too bad, Ron," Harry said, "Maybe she'll tell you what's going on. Perhaps you can ask her tonight."

"I'd hate to ruin her birthday because I was worried about her," Ron said, "Like you said, it is probably nothing too bad. Anyway, so... how's James?"

"You ask that every day, mate," Harry said, grinning, "He's great. He's been sitting up by himself. And he tends to grab at my necklace that Ginny gave me for my birthday. He has quite the strong grip. He also copies my facial expressions when I play with him. Ginny does that with him too. She can't get enough of it."

Ron chuckled.

"I can't imagine what it must be like for you," he said.

"Relax, mate," Harry said, "You'll be in my position sooner or later and you won't be able to stop talking about your child."

"I know," Ron said, "I just wonder when it will happen. Hermione and I have been trying for a while now. I don't like to talk about it with her, but sometimes I wonder if there is something wrong with me. Like if I'm not capable of... you know... making Hermione pregnant."

"A lot of blokes think that at some point or another, Ron," Harry said.

"Did you?" Ron asked.

"Maybe once or twice," Harry said, "And then Ginny and I found out that she was pregnant." 

Ron nodded. 

"You shouldn't worry about it," Harry said, "Your time to be a father will come. And when it does, you'll find that you're the happiest bloke in the world."

**(Hermione's PoV – September 19****th****, 2005)**

Hermione had taken the full day off of work for her birthday, even though she had regret it. She had already taken one day off that week, when she had first discovered she was pregnant, and due to her symptoms of nausea and her overactive bladder, she hadn't been too focused on anything the past couple of days when she was at work. She knew that, in a few months, she would have to take a long maternity leave, and would have to find a temporary replacement as Head of her department. That only made her regret not being at work even more. She was quite an important person in her job.

The Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare was only a couple years old, and Hermione was still trying to help the department find its feet and place in the wizarding world. She had quite the opposition when it came to her department. Between the owners of house-elves, and the house-elves themselves, she wasn't sure which was her biggest problem. A few house-elves had already taken favor for what she was trying to do, but many of their kind, most of whom had been slaves to their jobs for many years, had been used to their life and work as slaves, and refused to listen to Hermione and the rest of her department. Pureblood wizards, especially those who were owners of house-elves had threatened to sue Hermione's department, but after a couple victories over these lawsuits, the rage had died down quite a bit.

Ever since she learned she was pregnant, Hermione had wondered how she could break the news to Ron. She knew the best date would be her birthday, and now the day had finally come. Keeping her announcement a surprise had been rather troublesome. Nausea and her overactive bladder had sent her to the bathroom numerous times. Unfortunately most of the time when this happened, it was at home with Ron. She could see the worry in Ron's face whenever this happened. In fact he had shown up at the bathroom door many times, just looking at her. He must have thought she was still ill. There were times where she wanted to tell him what was going on, but this was such an important moment in their lives, and she wanted to make it special.

Ron had sent her a letter earlier in the day, telling her he'd be home around seven or so, because he wanted to pick up some stuff. Hermione had deduced that Ron hadn't bought her birthday present yet, and he was probably trying to get one, quite literally, last minute. She wasn't too particular curious about what Ron was giving her for her birthday. He had already given her the best present in the world... he just didn't know it yet.

Hermione had spent a few hours setting up dinner for her and Ron. She had made a roast with all the fixings, and had put candles and fancy dinnerware on the table. When everything was set up, and it was a little over half-an-hour until seven, she took a shower and put on a nice semi-formal outfit for the evening. She just hoped her current situation wouldn't interfere with her plans that evening.

The roast was done when Hermione returned to the kitchen, and she was in the process of cutting it, when she heard the tell-tale cracking sound that meant Ron was back. She smiled when she heard the front door open and close, and a moment later, she turned to see Ron walking into the kitchen. He had a paper bag in his hand.

"Smells delicious!" Ron said, his eyes on the roast, "You look beautiful. Is this all for me?"

Hermione nodded. Ron smiled and walked over to her. He put his arms around her, hugging her.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," Ron said, "It is your birthday, not mine. I should be the one spoiling you. I feel like I'm not doing enough."

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron deeply on the lips.

"You've done quite a bit, Ron," she said.

"Well, I've done a bit more," Ron said.

"My birthday present?" Hermione asked.

"Mmhmm," Ron said. "You're not the only one who've planned something special tonight. I also bought this..."

He backed away and opened up the paper sack, then took out a bottle of firewhiskey. Hermione's heart sank. She knew she wouldn't be able to have any of it, given her condition. Unfortunately Ron didn't know that yet.

"Er... put it on ice," Hermione said, "We can let it chill."

She smiled, but she had a feeling it looked quite fake. She was right, because she saw the look in Ron's eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ron said, putting the bottle down and hugging Hermione again, "I forgot you don't like this stuff."

"You can have it, Ron," Hermione said, "I won't stop you."

"I'm sorry," Ron said, backing up, "I was just so focused on this evening, that I forgot about it. I know you haven't been feeling very good, and I wanted to make this evening perfect for you. I was hoping we might be able to – you know – try what we've been trying for the past few months. Maybe we'll have some luck given that it is your birthday."

"Oh, really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I was talking to Harry today, and you know how he is whenever he gets into his discussions about James. It made me kind of – I don't know, jealous or something."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes. She knew what Ron was thinking about. She opened her mouth to tell Ron her announcement, but Ron was faster.

"But," he said, "We don't have to do that if you don't feel very well. I mean –"

He frowned slightly.

"You look kind of pale still," Ron said, "Are you sure you're all right?"

Hermione's announcement caught in her throat. It could wait until dinner. She kissed Ron on the cheek.

"I'm fine," she said, "Go get out of your work clothes and into something nice. I'll set the table. Dinner will be ready when you're finished."

Ron smiled and walked out of the kitchen.

"And put the clothes in the hamper!" Hermione said, "I don't want to see them all over the floor! I know you, Ron!"

"Yes, Mum!" Ron said, loudly.

Hermione scowled, but she grinned. Mum... she was going to be a mother. Maybe she shouldn't be too mad when Ron called her that. She wouldn't be surprised if it was a new pet-name he'd use soon.

She turned and picked up the firewhiskey bottle and put it in the fridge. She laughed softly, as she closed the door. Depending on how Ron reacted to the announcement, he'd probably have quite a bit of that firewhiskey by the end of the night.

Hermione set the food on the table and put it on two plates. As she was lighting the candles, Ron walked into the dining room. He was in dress pants and a button-down shirt, an outfit that Hermione had picked out for him. He hadn't worn it since their fifth anniversary in May when they went to a fancy restaurant in London.

"Oh, you look so handsome," Hermione said, kissing Ron's cheek when he walked over to her.

Ron smiled and pulled back one of the chairs.

"Such a gentleman," Hermione said, as she sat down.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Ron said, sitting down, "Mum wrote to me today. She's planned a get-together on Sunday."

"My birthday party?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"Maybe," Ron said, blushing, "Okay, yes. Only you should be surprised on Sunday. She wanted to keep that part a secret."

"Sounds wonderful," Hermione said, "Should be fun."

"Yeah," Ron said, "I'm sure the whole family will be there. We'll get to see James again! And you know how Victoire's always happy to see her 'Unka' Ron and Auntie Hermione. "

"You know she can say Uncle now, Ron," Hermione said, "She's five."

"I know," Ron said, "But it's her nickname for me. It is better than Uncle. I like being an Uncle, though."

Hermione smiled and closed her eyes.

"What about being a father?" Ron asked.

Ron froze, staring at Hermione. His fork, full of roast, was frozen in mid-air.

"You know I'd love to be a father, Hermione," Ron said. "I always talk about it. I'm always wondering when it will happen."

"Ron," Hermione said, "You're going to be a father."

"I know I will, Hermione," Ron said, "Harry tells me that too. It'll happen. We shouldn't worry about that."

"No, Ron," Hermione said, "Listen to me. You're going to be a father."

"What?" Ron asked, "You mean -"

"I'm pregnant!" Hermione said, grinning.

Ron's mouth opened and closed, like a fish, as he looked at Hermione. His face grew white as a sheet. Suddenly, without warning, he fell over off his chair, and onto the ground.

He had fainted.


	2. Reactions and Flashbacks

**Chapter 2  
><strong>**Reactions and Flashbacks**

**Author's Note: Messed up a line in the first chapter. "What about being a father?" was meant to be asked by Hermione, not Ron. Sorry about that.**

**(Hermione's PoV – September 19th, 2005)**

"Ron?" Hermione said, kneeling over Ron, "Ron! Are you okay?"

Ron's groaned softly and opened his eyes. He looked up at her.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Hermione said, "Here. Let me help you up."

"I can do it," Ron muttered.

Ron got to his feet and sat back in his chair.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You fainted," Hermione said, still standing near him to make sure he was okay.

"Was I dreaming?" Ron asked, "I just remember – I remember -"

Ron's eyes widened and he looked at Hermione.

"You're pregnant?" he asked her.

Hermione smiled and nodded. Suddenly Ron stood up and hugged her.

"You're pregnant?" Ron asked again.

He backed away slowly, staring at her.

"Yes, Ron," Hermione said, "You're going to be a father."

"But," Ron said, "I don't understand – how?"

"Ron, I'm pretty sure you know how," Hermione said, chuckling.

"Well, yeah... but - I mean – I," Ron stammered, then took a deep breath, "Since when?"

"Since the end of July," Hermione said.

Ron's eyes widened.

"End of July?" Ron asked.

Hermione chuckled and grinned.

"Oh, bloody hell," Ron said, laughing. "You mean – when we – after Harry's party?"

"Um... if I remember correctly," Hermione said, laughing, "Technically it wasn't _after_Harry's party."

Ron blushed. She could tell that Ron was remembering it too.

_Flashback:_

_"… Happy Birthday, Dear Harry," Hermione sang along with Ron and the rest of their family, "Happy Birthday to you."_

_Harry grinned and blew out the candles on his cake. _

_Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the extended Weasley family, as well as a few of their closest friends, were sitting at two large picnic tables that had been set up behind the Burrow._

_At the end of the table, four-month-old James Sirius Potter started crying in his baby-carrier._

_"Ohh, looks like somebody didn't like our singing!" Ginny said, cooing at James, "Did we wake you up?"_

_James cooed softly and Ginny scrunched her nose._

_"Oh, I think he needs changing," Ginny said. "I'll be right back."_

_Ginny stood up and gently picked up James in her arms._

_"Do you need help?" Harry asked._

_"It's your party, Harry, you stay," Ginny said, "Actually, Hermione, can you help?"_

_"I'd be happy to!" Hermione said._

_"Have fun," Ron said, chuckling._

_Hermione smiled and stood up from the table. She followed Ginny into the house._

_"You could have asked your Mum to help, you know," Hermione said, as they slowly walked up the stairs toward Ginny's old bedroom._

_"Mum's done enough," Ginny said. "I've just finished successful kicking her out of my house a couple weeks ago. I don't need anymore help from her."_

_"I wouldn't complain, Ginny," Hermione said, "Your Mum is the only reason you were able to go back to work so soon after James was born."_

_"You deal with her for months during your pregnancy and after it, and then we'll talk," Ginny said, as they reached her old bedroom._

_Hermione blushed._

_"What was that?" Ginny asked._

_"Nothing," Hermione said._

_"No, I saw that," Ginny said, as she gently put James on the bed, "You're wondering when you'll be in my position, aren't you?"_

_Hermione sighed and nodded._

_"Ron and I have been trying," Hermione said, "But no luck yet."_

_"Well, you'll get there, Hermione," Ginny said._

_"Will I?" Hermione asked, "Sometimes I think there is something wrong with me."_

_"Nothing's wrong with you," Ginny said, shaking her head, "I thought that too. And now look at me: the mother of this beautiful little boy. Hand me that diaper bag, will you?"_

_"You're very lucky, you know," Hermione said, as she grabbed the diaper bag, and handed it to Ginny, "You and_

_Harry both are."_

_"I know," Ginny said, smiling. "Don't worry, Hermione."_

_"I know I shouldn't worry," Hermione said, "But Ron and I have been married for over five years now. I just thought I'd be a mother by now. Maybe that is my fault. I wanted to focus on the house-elf stuff. I wanted to start the department. I was so focused on that, that I just didn't want to stop using the Contraceptive Draught. Do you – do you think it is because I've taken that Draught for so long – that maybe it screwed up my insides?"_

_"You're insides aren't screwed up," Ginny said, shaking her head, "It is your mind."_

_"Well, thanks," Hermione said, "You make it sound like I'm sick in the head or something."_

_"No, of course not!" Ginny said, "I just mean... well, look at my position. I wanted to focus on my Quidditch career before Harry and I started a family. I retired from that career and took a job in the Ministry, and put my mind set on wanting to start a family with Harry. And a few months after I decided that, I was pregnant with this adorable little guy."_

_Ginny proceeded to change James' diaper and made cooing noises at him to not upset him. Hermione smiled as she watched Ginny._

_"You're such a brilliant mother, Ginny," she said, grinning._

_"I know," Ginny said, "To be honest, it surprises me sometimes. I used to think I didn't have it in me to be a mother. But – you know – I am my mother's daughter. I'm a natural because she is. It's Harry that I'm sometimes worried about, you know. He wasn't exactly raised up the best way. He surprises me all the time though. Fatherhood seems to come to him naturally, even if he didn't know his own."_

_"I wonder if Ron will be a good father," Hermione said._

_"You shouldn't doubt that," Ginny said, "Ron's his father's son. He'll probably spoil your children."_

_Hermione grinned._

_"I know you're worried, Hermione," Ginny said, "But you shouldn't be. You'll be a wonderful mother when the time comes. Like everything else, you just have to work at it."_

_"We have been working at it," Hermione said._

_"Oh, just stop right there!" Ginny said, chuckling, "I don't want to hear about that!"_

_Hermione laughed. Behind them, Hermione heard the door creak open. She turned. Ron was standing there._

_"You finished yet?" he asked._

_"These things take time, Ron," Ginny said._

_"Oh... right," Ron said, "Well, Harry's getting his presents, and he's wanting you to be down there with him."_

_"I'm almost finished," Ginny said, "In fact, Hermione... you can go if you want. Guess I didn't need too much help."_

_Hermione nodded and walked out of the room._

_"You have fun with James?" Ron asked._

_"He's quite the little bundle," Hermione said._

_"Yeah," Ron said, "Harry said he was already quite rowdy. I wonder if – you know -"_

_"What?" Hermione asked._

_"It's just – I wonder -" Ron stammered, "I wonder if our kids will be like that."_

_"They'll have your genes, Ron," Hermione said, "I'm sure they will be... whenever they come."_

_Ron sighed and put his arms around Hermione._

_"You think about that too?" Ron asked._

_"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding, "I sometimes wonder when we'll be in Ginny and Harry's position."_

_"Me too," Ron said._

_"We just need to work at it," Hermione said._

_"What?" Ron asked, chuckling._

_"Something Ginny said," Hermione said, "We just have to work at it. It'll happen sooner or later."_

_"What about sooner," Ron said._

_"What are you getting at?" Hermione said._

_"We could try it now," Ron said._

_Hermione laughed and shook her head._

_"Ron, we can't do it here," she said, "It is Harry's party."_

_"They won't miss us," Ron said._

_"Ron!" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes._

_"What?" Ron said, "There's no better time than the present."_

_"Your Mum would kill us," Hermione said._

_"Nobody would know," Ron said, "We could use the Muffliato Charm."_

_Hermione groaned._

_"Fine," Ron said, "I can wait. It isn't like we're sure it will happen tonight."_

_Hermione took Ron's hand and headed up the stairs._

_"What are you doing?" Ron asked._

_"You've convinced me," Hermione said._

_Ron grinned and picked up Hermione in his arms._

_"Ron!" she said, chuckling._

_"I lied," Ron sad, "I can't wait."_

_Hermione laughed as Ron brought her upstairs._

_Flashback ends..._

__"Blimey," Ron said, "Who would have thought that that night would be the night?"

"Yeah, I know," Hermione said, "I was surprised when I found out."

"When was that?" Ron asked, "I mean... when did you find out?"

"Monday," Hermione said.

"Oh," Ron said, then his eyes widened, "Wait – you mean – when you were sick?"

"I wasn't sick," Hermione said, chuckling, "Nausea is just a part of the whole thing."

"Blimey," Ron said again. "You're pregnant."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I'm pregnant."

"I'm going to be a father!" Ron said, laughing, and hugging Hermione. He then groaned and backed up, "Sorry, I shouldn't hug you so tight. Might hurt him... or her."

"You won't hurt them, Ron," Hermione said, "It's about... this big."

She held her thumb and forefinger apart a bit.

"Are you mad at me for not telling you?" Hermione asked.

"Why would I be mad?" Ron asked.

"For not telling you when I found out," Hermione said, "I wanted it to be a special moment. That's why I waited. I –"

Hermione was silenced when Ron kissed her and hugged her again.

"Hermione," Ron said, "I'm not mad! How could I be? This is the greatest news I have ever received. We're going to have a baby. You. Me. We're going to be parents."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes, and saw that Ron had a few in his eyes as well.

"Bloody hell," Hermione said, "We're going to be parents."

"You cursed," Ron said.

"I did," Hermione said, laughing. "But I'll probably be doing that a lot."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"When Ginny was pregnant," Hermione said, "Do you remember what Harry had to go through?"

"Oh, bloody hell," Ron said, "Promise you won't beat me up."

"Ginny didn't beat Harry up!" Hermione said, laughing.

"She almost did," Ron said, "Many times. Harry said so. I don't want to have to face that."

"I can't make any promises," Hermione said.

"Brilliant," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Well, sit down. You need to eat. You're eating for two now."

"Right," Hermione said, sitting down at her chair.

"Or maybe it'd be better if you were on the couch," Ron said, "Or on the bed. Just so you're comfortable."

"Ron," Hermione said, chuckling, "I'm fine. I'm perfectly okay sitting here."

"Okay," Ron said, "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I am," Hermione said, "I'm great, in fact. I'm happy... no, I'm thrilled. You've given me the greatest present anyone could ask for."

Ron grinned. 

"Happy Birthday, Hermione," he said, "Goodness, I love you."

"Thank you," Hermione said, "And I love you too."

After dinner, Ron and Hermione went into the living room. Ron took his gift from the bag and gave it to Hermione. It was a small box. When she opened it, she found a small charm bracelet.

"There's a couple of charms on it," Ron said, "And we can get more to place on it."

"Oh, it's beautiful!, Ron!" Hermione said, feeling tears coming to her eyes, "I love it!"

Hermione smiled and leaned toward Ron and kissed him. Ron leaned toward her and kissed her deeply. Hermione chuckled against his lips, as she moved against the back of the couch. Suddenly, she felt a pressing force on her bladder and backed away from Ron.

"Are you okay?" Ron said, looking worried.

"Er – I need to go – to the bathroom," Hermione said.

Ron grinned and helped Hermione up.

"I guess I have to get used to that," he said, chuckling.

Hermione nodded and rushed off to the bathroom.

-  
>When she finished up, she found Ron in their bedroom. The bottle of firewhiskey was sitting on the nightstand near his side of the bed.<p>

"Indulging a bit, are you?" Hermione asked, nodding to the bottle.

"Yes," Ron said, "But believe me, it isn't because of the announcement."

Hermione smiled and walked over to the bed, laying on her side.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked.

"It's just my bladder," Hermione said, "Unfortunately, that's going to happen a lot, given that the baby is near it. So I'll be taking quite a few bathroom breaks over the next few weeks and months."

"Oh, bloody hell," Ron said.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I just realized," Ron said, "we're going to have to tell our family."

"Of course we are," Hermione said, "Do you think we'd keep this a secret from them?"

"No, I mean," Ron said, "This Sunday. The way you've been so nauseous and having to go to the restroom, I doubt you'll be able to stop that enough for your party. And we'll be there with a bunch of mothers. They'll know after your first trip to the bathroom."

Hermione chuckled and nodded.

"I'm perfectly fine with telling them on Sunday," she said. "They'll be happy to know that."

Ron nodded.

"Why?" Hermione asked, "You don't want to...?"

"Of course I do, sweetheart," Ron said, "I want them to know. I'm just not sure I'm ready for their reactions."

"They'll be thrilled," Hermione said, "You know that."

"I – yeah, I know," Ron said.

"Then what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"You know how Mum is with announcements like this," Ron said. "She's going to be right mental about it all."

Hermione chuckled.

"You know how she was with Fleur and Ginny and Angelina," Ron said. "She's going to be the same with you, and I don't know if I can handle her then."

"It'll be fine," she said, "I'll be able to handle it."

"Will you?" Ron asked, "You're in quite a delicate condition."

Hermione scowled.

"Not exactly something I want to hear right now," she said.

"Sorry," Ron said, grinning, "Blimey, Hermione, am I going to have to deal with that?"

"With what?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes.

"That!" Ron said, "You're moody."

"I'm not moody," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes.

"Okay!" Ron said, "I take it back. You're not moody."

Hermione smiled and leaned toward Ron, kissing him softly. Ron kissed her back and Hermione pressed him against his pillow, deepening the kiss.

"Hermione," Ron mumbled against her lips.

"What?" Hermione asked, sighing as she backed away.

"We shouldn't," Ron said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I can't do this," Ron said.

"You can't do what?" Hermione asked, "Make love to me?"

"I might hurt you," Ron said, "Or the baby."

"Did you hear me when I said you can't hurt the baby?" Hermione asked.

"I know you think that," Ron said, "But I'm not sure."

Hermione sighed and laid back down on her pillow.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron said, "It's just... I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want something to happen. I don't want anything to happen."

He sighed and placed his hand gently on Hermione's stomach.

"This is our bundle of joy," Ron said, "This is something we've created. It's proof of how much we love each other. And... I don't want anything to happen to you or them."

"Hey," Hermione said, leaning her head on Ron's shoulder, "Do you honestly think I know what I'm doing? I'm completely new at this too. I have no idea what is going to happen."

"You mean you haven't looked it up in books yet?" Ron asked, grinning.

"Not yet," Hermione said, smiling and shaking her head, "I suppose I should though. But no, we're both completely new at this. I mean... okay, we've seen Ginny, and Harry, and your brothers and their wives go through it, but now it is personal to us."

"Finally something we can learn about together," Ron said, "Something I don't have to copy off of you."

Hermione grinned.

"Finally, after all these years," she said.

Ron chuckled, then his expression hardened.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming," he said. "Tell me that I'm not going to wake up tomorrow morning and you won't be pregnant."

Hermione rolled her eyes and pinched Ron on the arm.

"Ow!" he said.

"You're not dreaming," Hermione said, "I'm really pregnant."

Ron grinned and leaned toward Hermione and kissed her.

"I thought – you didn't want – to do that," Hermione said, in between kisses.

"I don't," Ron said, "Doesn't mean we can't do other stuff though."

Hermione grinned and pressed Ron back against his pillow, deepening the kiss.


	3. Family

**Chapter 3  
><strong>**Family**

**Author's Note: Okay, so I might be a little off-canon with some of the kids in this chapter. I know Victoire's five, and Fleur have probably had Dominique and Louis by this time as well. George and Angelina have their first son already, Fred II, and of course there is little James. If the ages seem off, I'm sorry, it is just guesswork. Also, I found that I put "Rupert" instead of "Ron" in one of my chapters. I apologize for that. I usually catch that. Sorry!**

**(Hermione's PoV – September 20****th**** , 2005)**

Saturday evening brought a cool late-September chill to London. Hermione was sitting in the living room, working on some papers for her work. A large thick blanket was covering most of her, making it difficult for her to do too much. A fire was roaring in the fireplace across the living room, making the room very warm and comfortable. This was all thanks to Ron, who had a sudden fit of gallantry. That wasn't all Ron had done. He had insisted that Hermione stay off her feet that evening, unless it was to go to the restroom. He had also insisted that he would make them dinner.

Ron wouldn't say why he was acting like this, but Hermione figured that she knew why. She had remembered what he had said the previous night about her being in a delicate condition. Even though she hadn't taken that too lightly, he continued to press on, and he hadn't left her side very often that day. He had made her breakfast in bed, and when Hermione left her bed, Ron had made sure that Hermione was comfortable elsewhere.

Hermione smiled as she thought of how Ron was taking care of her. She couldn't have someone more wonderful in her life than Ron. After a while she knew she'd probably get irritated at how much Ron was taking care of her, but for now she was very grateful.

Ron walked into the living room, carrying two plates of fish and chips. He sat down next to Hermione on the couch.

"We need to talk about how we're getting to the Burrow tomorrow, Hermione," Ron said, after giving her a plate of food, "Because you can't apparate or use Floo Powder to get there."

"Oh, yeah," Hermione said, "I hadn't thought about that."

"A cab is going to be really expensive," Ron said, "And the Knight Bus doesn't travel that far."

"Right," Hermione said.

"What about my Dad?" Ron asked, "He could come and pick us up. He has a car."

"He'd ask us why we need a ride, Ron," Hermione said, "Do you really want him to know before we announce it to the whole family?"

"Well, what else can we do, Hermione?" Ron replied, "How will we get down there?"

Hermione grinned. "I have an idea," she said, "Hand me the telephone."

Ron looked at her questioningly, but did so anyway. He took the cordless phone from the table and handed it to her. She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Helen, Hermione's mother, said.

"Hey, Mum," Hermione said, "It's Hermione."

"Hermione!" Helen said, "We've been meaning to call you. I'm sorry we haven't given you your birthday gift yet."

"That's okay, Mum," Hermione said, "Actually that is kind of why I called."

"Oh?" Helen asked.

"Ron's parents are having a birthday party for me at the Burrow tomorrow," Hermione said, "And I was wondering if you and Dad would like to come. You know – if you're not busy."

"Of course we can come," Helen said, "That sounds wonderful!"

"Brilliant," Hermione said. "One more thing. Could you – er – take Ron and I down to the Burrow as well?"

"Don't you usually travel down there by magic?" Helen asked. "If you're worried that your father and I won't be able to find it, you shouldn't. We've been down there plenty of times. We know how to get there."

"No, that's not the problem," Hermione said, thinking quickly. "Er... the Apparation and Floo Networks are not available right now. Something to do with Ministry security. Some important individuals in the wizarding world are in London, and the whole city has been made Apparation and Floo proof."

Ron raised his eyebrows at the lie and Hermione quelled him with a look, shaking her head.

"Oh, well that must be terrible!" Helen said, "Of course we can take the two of you down there. When is the party?"

"At noon tomorrow," Hermione said.

"We'll be at your house around nine tomorrow morning then," Helen said.

"Thanks, Mum," Hermione said.

"We'll see you tomorrow then," Helen said.

"See you," Hermione said, "Bye."

Hermione pressed 'end' on the phone.

"What was that about?" Ron asked, putting the phone back on the table, "There are no important individuals in town."

"Well, I didn't want to tell my parents the news just yet, Ron," Hermione said. "We need a ride, so I invited Mum and Dad to the party. They can take us, and we can tell them the news, along with the rest of the family."

"Brilliant," Ron said, grinning.

"I have my moments," Hermione said, grinning, before taking a bite of her fish.

"I wonder how they'll react," Ron said, "Your parents I mean – to you being pregnant. I mean... my Mum and Dad are already grandparents and have been for a few years now. They're used to it. But your parents..."

"They'll be delighted, Ron," Hermione said. "Of course they will be. Besides, they're always asking me when they'll become grandparents."

"I still can't believe this," Ron said, grinning, "It's been a whole day since you told me, and it feels so surreal."

"Ha, you think it feels surreal," Hermione said, "I'm the one who has to go through it all."

"We're both going to be going through this, Hermione," Ron said.

"That's not what I mean," Hermione said, "I mean... the nausea, the constant bathroom breaks... my growing appetite. And it will only progress from there – I don't even know everything that will happen -"

"Hermione, stop," Ron said.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. Ron took her hand in his.

"Hey, I know what you meant, okay?" he said, "And I'm going to be here with you through that all. I'm not going anywhere. We'll go through this together."

Hermione smiled.

"I know that," she said, "It's just..."

She sighed as she looked at her plate of half-eaten fish and chips.

"For the first time in – well – years," she said, "I'm doing something I haven't been through before. Something that I have no experience with. I mean... I've seen Fleur and Angelina and Ginny go through it, but I know this is different than that. I'm experiencing this now. And it feels completely new to me. I'm not used to dealing with something I have very little knowledge about, and no experience with."

She felt tears in her eyes, and felt them falling down her cheeks.

"That frightens me a little," she said.

"Hey, Hermione, look at me," Ron said.

She looked back up at Ron. He put his plate of food on the coffee table and inched closer to Hermione. He put a hand gently to her face and wiped the tears from her eyes, then put his arms around her hugging her.

"You told me all of this last night," Ron said, "And what did I say when you did?"

"We can learn about it together," Hermione said.

"Exactly," Ron said. "There won't be a second during this whole thing where you're alone in this. I'll be there right along with you. I'll even take a leave of absence from my Auror duties if that is what you need."

"I couldn't ask you to do that," Hermione said.

"I'd do it anyway," Ron said, "If you needed me to. This is completely new to both of us. Something we've never experienced before. Heck, I've had to hear about it from Harry and my brothers... their experiences, you know – and it still feels new to me. It's like everything they told me went through one ear and out the other. This is something we're both going through."

He put a hand on her stomach.

"That is our child," Ron said, "Something we made together. So please don't think for one second I'd let you do this – any part of it – on your own. Whatever you need... if you need books about babies and pregnancy, I'd go out this very moment and find them for you."

"Well, I don't need them this very moment," Hermione said, grinning, "I'm sure we'll get loads of advice, enough for quite a few books, tomorrow after we make the announcement."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Ron said, shaking his head, as he picked up his plate of food again, "There's a part of me that isn't ready for that."

"And the other part of you?" Hermione asked.

"It tells me I'm definitely ready for us to make the announcement," Ron said. "Because it will seem... I don't know... not official, because it is already official... but... you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I think so."

"I want everyone to know that the Weasley family is about to grow by one more," Ron said.

"Maybe more than one," Hermione said.

Ron glanced at Hermione, raising his eyebrows.

"M-more than one?" he asked.

"Well, maybe," Hermione said, "There's that chance, isn't there? I mean... given your family genes."

"Yeah, I-I guess," Ron said.

Hermione laughed.

"What?" Ron asked.

"You sound so bloody frightened at the thought we could have twins," Hermione said.

"Can you blame a bloke?" Ron asked, "After having had to deal with Fred and George all those years?"

"Well, now that you put it that way," Hermione said.

"How long until we find that out?" Ron asked, "If it is more than one."

"Not for a while," Hermione said, "I'm only halfway through the first trimester."

"The what?" Ron asked.

Hermione laughed.

"Maybe I do know more about this whole pregnancy thing than you do," she said.

"Probably better that way," Ron said, "You know... given that you have to deal with all the side-effects. I don't think I could handle that."

"Oh, thanks, Ron," Hermione said, "That makes me feel loads better."

Ron laughed.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – September 21st , 2005)<strong>

The following morning, Hermione was sitting in the living room, waiting for her parents to arrive to take them to the Burrow. Ron appeared from the hallway, carrying a large jacket.

"It's pretty cold out there," Ron said, "I think you should wear this. Just in case."

Hermione was about to say the coat wouldn't be needed, but stopped when she saw the look on Ron's face. He looked too adorable caring for her, for Hermione to decline his offer.

"Okay," she said, "I'll wear it."

"Do you need anything else?" Ron asked, "It's a pretty long drive to the Burrow. I'd hate to have to explain to your Dad early why he has to stop for you to go to the bathroom."

"I'm fine, Ron," Hermione said, "Between the nausea and my bladder, I've had three bathroom trips already this morning. I think I'll be fine for a couple of hours."

"Okay," Ron said, "I just wanted to make sure."

"Yes, Ron," Hermione said, "I'm perfectly fine. But thanks for asking."

Hermione heard a car pull up to the driveway. Hermione stood up, and Ron helped her put on the coat.

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione said, "I think I could put the coat on myself. I'm not that delicate right now."

"I'm just doing my part," Ron said.

"I know," Hermione said, "And thank you, but I think I can do this much."

"Oh, okay," Ron said, grinning, "So you don't need me to carry you to the car?"

"What do you think?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes.

"Bloody hell, I'm joking," Ron said, "You're so moody, you know."

"I'm not moody!" Hermione said, "That is not one of the side-effects yet."

"So, this is just you then, I take it?" Ron asked.

"Ron," Hermione muttered, "You don't have to go to my party, you know."

"I'm joking!" Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes and opened the front door. She walked out, and Ron followed her. Hermione smiled at her parents, as they waved to her from their car. Ron walked ahead of Hermione and opened the door to the backseat. Hermione ignored Ron's grin and sat down in the car.

"Good morning, you two," Richard, Hermione's father, said, looking through the rear-view mirror.

"Hi, Dad, Mum," Hermione said, smiling.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Helen asked, "You look a little pale."

"She's had a bit of a cold this past week, Helen," Ron said, "She's fine. I insisted she put on her coat, just in case."

"Well, if you're not feeling too well," Helen said, "We don't have to go. I'm sure Molly would understand."

"I'm fine, Mum," Hermione said, "Can we go?"

"If she says she's fine, Helen, she's fine," Richard said, "Yes, we can go."

Hermione ignored Ron's sideways glances toward her, as the car backed out of the driveway.

-  
>Ron's fears of Hermione's bladder or nausea working up again were all for naught. Hermione didn't feel any side-effects to the pregnancy during the whole trip to the Burrow, which took a little less than three hours. Though it didn't last for any longer than that. As soon as Hermione entered the Burrow with Ron and her parents, Hermione felt the sudden urge to use the bathroom, and excused herself before Mrs. Weasley or anyone else could greet her with a hug.<p>

"Er... it was a long trip," Hermione heard Ron say, as she made her way up the stairs, "Anyone would have to use the bathroom after that."

When Hermione returned from the bathroom, she greeted her extended family. As she hugged Mrs. Weasley, she saw Victoire running over to Ron. Ron smiled and picked her up. Hermione walked over to Victoire and Ron.  
>"Hi, Auntie Hermione!" Victoire said, "Happy Birthday!"<p>

"Aww, thank you, sweetheart," Hermione said, "You're getting bigger every time I see you. You grow so fast."

"Not as fast as her brother and sister," Bill said.

Hermione turned around. Dominique, Victoire's three year old sister was walking hand-in-hand with her father. Bill and Fleur's son, Louis, who was a little over one year old was being carried by Fleur. He was cooing and giggling and pointing across the room, where Harry was holding James.

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley said, "Help your brothers and father set up the table."

"Do I have to, Mum?" Ron asked, "I'm playing with Victoire."

"Ron, go help them," Hermione said.

Ron sighed and put Victoire down. He looked at Hermione.

"Will you be okay?" he whispered, low enough where only she could hear him.

"I'm fine, Ron," Hermione whispered.

"Well, sit down if you need to," Ron whispered.

"I've been sitting for the past three hours," Hermione said, "I'm fine. Go help them. I'll see if your mother needs help."

Ron nodded and walked through the kitchen and outside. Hermione walked into the kitchen, where Ginny was preparing the meal.

"Finally!" Ginny said, grinning, "We were wondering when the birthday girl would get here."

"We rode down with my parents," Hermione said.

"In the car?" Ginny asked, "I thought they were used to Side-Along Apparation with you by now. Though you do look a little pale, Hermione. Are you feeling well?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Hermione said, "Can I help?"

"Hermione, it's your birthday party," Mrs. Weasley said, "You don't need to help."

"Oh, it doesn't matter, Molly," Hermione said, "I'd be happy to."

"Oh, okay then," Mrs. Weasley said, "We do need another pair of hands. Angelina usually helps, but she and George and little Fred aren't here yet. Okay, how about you help with the salad."

Hermione nodded and walked over to the end of the table, where a number of vegetables were laying. Fleur walked in, with the baby seat, which Louis was asleep in.

"You still carry him around in that. Fleur?" Ginny asked, "I thought he'd be walking by now."

"Oh, he does walk a bit," Fleur said, "But it tires him out so easily. Victoire and Dominique were never like this."

"That's to be expected," Mrs. Weasley said. "I find I happens more with boys. Ron was like that when he began walking. He was always tired. The twins were like that too."

"I'd be happy if James is like that at Louis' age," Ginny said, "I can't count the times he's woken me and Harry up lately. I'm usually the one to get James to go back to sleep, because I hate for Harry to be too tired when he wakes up. I don't want him getting hurt during his Auror missions because he's exhausted."

Hermione frowned slightly. She hadn't thought about how her pregnancy would affect Ron's job. Ever since she had told the news to Ron, he had been so insisting on taking care of her whenever she needed something. She didn't want him to get too exhausted, especially since his Auror profession was already so dangerous. Ron had already offered to take a leave of absence from his duties, but Hermione could never let him. She knew he loved being an Auror.

"How is Harry coping with all of that?" Hermione asked Ginny, trying to be careful with her words so she didn't reveal too much yet. "I mean... during your whole pregnancy and now with James. Between that and his Auror duties..."

"Oh, he insisted many times on taking a leave of absence from his duties," Ginny said, "Especially during my pregnancy. There were quite a few times he wanted to take the simpler tasks because he was worried about me. There were many times I had to give him a nudge just so he would go to work. It isn't too bad now. But when I was pregnant with James, he was worried about me all the time. Always worried that something would happen to me if he wasn't there to be with me."

She chuckled.

"My hero of a husband," she said, then looked over her shoulder at Hermione, "Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious," Hermione said, shrugging.

Hermione glanced up at Ginny, who looked as if she was thinking about something. Hermione focused on the onion she was cutting and the smells went to her nose. She felt a rumble in her stomach, and knew the nausea was acting up again..

"I'll be right back," Hermione said.

She stood up quickly and walked toward the stairs and up them, then headed into the bathroom. She quickly shut the door, and got to the toilet just in time to throw up into the bowl.

"Hermione?" a voice called out.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Hermione looked up to see Ginny standing there.

"Are you all right?" she asked, walking in.

"I will be," Hermione said, flushing the toilet and sitting on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, "You..."

Hermione saw the understanding in Ginny's eyes. Ginny suddenly grinned.

"Hermione," she said, "Are you –? No... are you pregnant?"

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Oh my gosh!" Ginny said, grinning.

"Shh, not so loud!" Hermione said.

"Who else knows?" Ginny asked, "Does Ron –?"

"I told him on my birthday," Hermione said, "But only he knows. We're going to announce it to everyone during the party."

"How many weeks are you in?" Ginny asked.

"Just getting into the seventh week," Hermione said, "I found out last Monday."

"I knew it," Ginny said, "I saw you rush to the bathroom when you and Ron first arrived. And then... coming here by car instead of by magic. And then the questions about how Harry was coping and... oh... how's Ron coping with this all?"

"I'm doing very well with it all, thank you very much," Ron's voice said.

Ron appeared behind Ginny. He walked past Ginny and over to Hermione, kneeling beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Just the smells of the food got to me."

"Oh, that will happen a lot," Ginny said, chuckling, "Believe me. My advice is to just let Ron do all the cooking."

"I think I can do that," Ron said, grinning.

"How are you?" Ginny asked, walking over to Ron and hugging him, "Daddy-to-be."

"I'm thrilled," Ron said, "Well, for the most part. Kind of dreading the announcement part."

"Oh, yeah, good luck with that," Ginny said, chuckling. "Will you be all right, Hermione? I better get downstairs before someone gets curious. Wouldn't want to announce it too early."

"I'll help her," Ron said, "You just keep this to yourself until we announce it. I mean it, sis. Not even to Harry."

"I'm sure I can keep it to myself for now," Ginny said, "You won't have to wait very long. Lunch will be done in a half hour or so."

Ginny smiled and walked out of the bathroom.

"Lunch," Hermione said, "Cake... great."

"You don't have to eat too much if you don't feel up to it," Ron said.

"I'm eating for two, Ron," Hermione reminded him.

"Well, it won't help if it comes back up again, will it?" Ron asked.

"Relax," Hermione said, "I think I know how much I can handle. We better get downstairs before someone else gets the idea. This house is full of parents. Someone else is bound to realize what is going on."

Ron grinned and helped Hermione to her feet.

"You ready for this?" Hermione asked, "For this whole announcement thing?"

"I am if you are," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron softly.

"Ugh," Ron said, scrunching his nose, "I think you better get some breath freshener first. Your breath stinks."

"I know it does," Hermione said, smacking Ron lightly on the shoulder, "I just got finished puking my guts out. I don't need you to tell me that."

Ron chuckled.

"There you go again," he said, "Being all moody."

Ron cowered at Hermione's look.

"I better go see if they need help," Ron said, "I'll just leave you to freshen up."

"That's the smartest thing you've done all day," Hermione muttered.

Ron grinned and left the bathroom. Hermione rolled her eyes as she went to the sink to make herself look proper.

"Here goes nothing," she said to her reflection a few moments later, then made her way downstairs.


	4. Something To Look Forward To

**Chapter 4  
><strong>**Something To Look Forward To**

**(Hermione's PoV – September 21st, 2005)**

As Ginny had predicted, the food was set on the table half an hour later. George and Angelina had arrived with little Fred, aged about eighteen months, just before the meal was getting ready to begin, and now all the guests were there. Hermione, Ron and their extended family sat down at the two large adjoining picnic tables.

Ron gave no signs to Hermione as to when they should announce the news. In fact, he was more focused on the conversation around the table, and the food in front of him. Hermione knew he was nervous. She couldn't blame him. Breaking the news to Ron had been difficult enough. He had been thrilled about the whole thing, as she had known he would be. She knew everyone would be thrilled, but somehow that made the announcement even that much more difficult.

Before Hermione knew it, everyone had their fill of lunch, and Mrs. Weasley had excused herself from the table to get Hermione's cake. Ron handed Hermione a napkin, and Hermione looked down at it. Written on it, was one word:

_When?_

Hermione grinned and smiled. She took her wand, and pointed it to the napkin.

_Up to you. Now or after dessert?_

Ron pointed his wand at the napkin. Words formed on it and Hermione read them:

_After dessert._

Hermione nodded and pointed her wand at the napkin. The words disappeared just in time for Mrs. Weasley to return and the family to sing a round of Happy Birthday to Hermione. Hermione blew out the candles, and wished that everyone would be happy with their announcement, and that her pregnancy would go smoothly. Hermione could only eat half of her piece of cake, and she gave the rest to Ron, who ate it, even though he already had two pieces. She chuckled, knowing he was just waiting to put it off a bit.

Hermione took Ron's hand under the table and squeezed it. Ron looked at her, and she nodded. Ron then sighed and stood up.

"I – that is Hermione and I – have an announcement for everyone," he said.

Ron's words were slow, but clear. Hermione knew he was really nervous.

"Mum, Dad," Ron said, "Mr. and Mrs. Granger... Hermione and I are going to be parents. Hermione's pregnant!"

Mrs. Weasley and Helen, even though both were on the other side of the table, were the first to hug Hermione and Ron. Both were in tears. Everyone else cheered and congratulated them.

"Oh, how far along are you?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking at Hermione through her tears, "When are you due? Have you picked a name out?"

"Mum, relax!" Ron said, chuckling, "Let her breathe!"

"I'm only halfway through my first trimester, Molly," Hermione said, "I'm not due until late May or early June. And -"

"And it is way too early for names I think," Ron said.

Before too long, Hermione found herself back in the living room of the Burrow, surrounded by most of the women. She had left Ron with his brothers and Harry outside. Most of the kids were outside as well, other than James and Louis, who were in their carriages, asleep after a big meal.

"When did you find out?" Helen asked.

"Last Monday," Hermione said, "I went to St. Mungo's after I first started feeling nauseous. I'm just in my seventh week now."

"What was Ron like when he found out?" Angelina asked.

"Ooh, did he faint?" Ginny asked, "He fainted, didn't he?"

"He did very well with the announcement," Hermione said.

"He fainted," Ginny said.

"Okay, he did," Hermione said.

Laughter erupted from the women.

"But only for a moment," Hermione said, "He's done very well with it. In fact, he's rather annoying with it all. He always wants to be by my side."

"So like his father," Mrs. Weasley said, "Arthur wouldn't leave my side for days after he found out I was pregnant with Bill."

"George didn't want to be near me actually," Angelina said. "He said I was always moody."

"That's Ron's new favorite word," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Ooh, he should feel lucky right now," Ginny said, "Wait until your hormones start acting up. I don't think he'll want to spend too much time around the house then. Harry didn't."

"Yeah, but that is just because you threatened him with the Bat-Bogey Curse every day," Hermione said.

"Not every day!" Ginny said, "Okay... maybe every other day."

"You might not have much to worry about in the hormones department, honey," Helen said, "I was almost always completely fine and calm when I was pregnant with you. Your father considered it a miracle."

"So have you discussed what you hope it is?" Ginny asked, "A boy or a girl?"

"Ooh, maybe it is twins!" Fleur piped up.

"That was something Ron and I discussed yesterday," Hermione said, "the chance that I could have twins. He wasn't very... er... agreeable with that factor. But we haven't really discussed it. We haven't exactly discussed that much. He's only known since Friday. We're trying to cope with it all right now."

"Hermione, all you have to do is ask," Mrs. Weasley said, "I'd be happy to help. I'm sure Helen would too."

"Oh yes, I'll help you through it," Helen said.

"Ron's already up for that job," Hermione said, "But if we need help, I'll ask."

Hermione suddenly felt another pressing force on her bladder.

"Ugh, I'll be right back," Hermione said, "Nature calls... again."

The rest of the women chuckled, and Hermione blushed, realizing that these women were all used to that. She stood up and headed for the stairs. Outside, she could see Ron talking to Harry and his brothers. She wondered how he was taking the whole thing.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – September 21st, 2005)<strong>

_A few minutes earlier..._

Hermione, Ginny and the other women of the family all retreated back into the house. Ron stood up and was about to follow them, but he was pulled back to the table by Harry. Near the table, George's son, Fred, was asleep in his stroller.

"Believe me, mate," Harry said, "You don't want to be in there with them. They'll be talking about the gooey facts of her pregnancy. You don't want to hear about that this soon after lunch, believe me."

"But... Hermione," Ron said.

"Hermione will be fine, Ron," George said, "You don't have to keep an eye on her all the time."

"I guess I do that a lot, huh?" Ron asked.

"Yes, Ron," Harry said, "I noticed that before you made your announcement. And if you keep doing that, you're just going to put her in a mood."

"Oh, she's already had those," Ron said, chuckling.

"Already?" Bill asked, "How many weeks is she in?"

"Going into her seventh," Ron said.

Harry, Bill and George laughed. Ron looked at them questioningly, and was about to ask until he was interrupted.  
>"Grandpa, come play with us!" Victoire' said.<p>

"I'll leave you boys to your discussion," Mr. Weasley said.

He stood up and walked to Victoire, who was playing with her younger sister.

"I think I'll join them," Richard said, "Looks like I need to get used to kids again."

Ron grinned as he watched Hermione's father join his father and the kids.

"Seven weeks in, eh?" Bill asked. "Oh, you're just at the tip of the beanpole, Ron. If Hermione's moody, then that's just her. You'll know when she gets to be moody because of her hormones. You'll cherish these moments now. Believe me, whatever you're dealing with... it is nothing to how she'll probably get."

"I'm still trying to get over Ginny's moods," Harry said, "Can you believe she's already talking about wanting another kid?"

"What?" Ron asked, "Already? I thought you'd want to wait until James was at least a year old."

"Well, I do!" Harry said, "But Ginny... well... she – er – well, let's just say our – er – sex-life is well, she hasn't been this energetic for quite a while."

Ron chuckled. Unlike when Harry and Ginny were first dating, before they got married, Ron had gotten okay with hearing about his sister's relationship with his best mate. Harry was the same way with him and Hermione for a while there. But now romance was easier to talk about between him and Harry.

"What?" Ron asked, "You mean back since when James was born?"

"Are you serious?" Harry asked, "Definitely not. Ginny wouldn't let me touch her when James was first born. She'd worried that we'd be in the middle of something and James would need something. No, I meant during when she was pregnant. There were times when she'd want it every bloody night. She was quite energetic for a pregnant women."

"But, I don't understand," Ron said, "Weren't you worried that you'd hurt the baby?"

Harry, George and Bill looked at Ron like he was mental.

"Ron, you're not going to hurt the baby," George said.

"That's what Hermione tried to tell me," Ron said, "But – you're serious? It won't hurt the baby?"

"Of course not!" Bill said, "It is very well protected inside Hermione. You don't have to worry about that."

"I was worried too at first, mate," Harry said, "But believe me, you have nothing to worry about."

"You should be grateful, little brother," George said, "It's one of the best parts of the whole pregnancy thing. The hormones thing works both ways. There are times where she'll be so moody, you'll swear she wants to kill you. But when it works the other way, there will be times you'll be wanting some rest for a night."

"Really?" Ron asked, grinning.

"Not always, though," Bill said. "During all three of Fleur's pregnancies, there were weeks on end when I swore she was going to make me sleep on the couch."

"Angelina _did _make me sleep on the couch at one point," George said, shaking his head.

"You really thought you'd hurt the baby, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Of course I did," Ron said, "It'd kill me if something happened because of me."

"Nothing's going to happen," Harry said, "I assure you."

"Take what you get, Ron," George said, "There will be times where you look back at it, missing it."

"Okay, I think I need a drink before we get too far into that" Ron said, chuckling.

"I was hoping we'd have a reason to break open the firewhiskey," Bill said, taking his wand from his pocket.

He waved his wand, and a bottle of butterbeer floated out from the Burrow. Bill popped it open and poured some into the glasses near them.

"A toast!" Bill said, raising his glass, "To my youngest brother... finally going to be a father."

"Finally?" Ron asked.

"Mate, you've been married for five years," Harry said, "Some of us had our doubts about you."

"I see your point," Ron said.

He grinned and touched his glass with the other three, then took a gulp of firewhiskey.

"Drinking again?" Hermione's voice said.

Ron almost choked on his drink as he turned.

"It's a celebration for a father-to-be, Hermione," Harry said.

"Oh, I see," Hermione said.

"I just realized," Harry said, setting his cup down, "I haven't congratulated the mommy-to-be enough."

Hermione grinned as she hugged Harry.

"Congratulations, Hermione," Harry said.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said.

Hermione walked over to Ron and sat on his lap.

"Oomph!" Ron joked.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, "That better not be a joke about my weight."

"Of course not!" Ron said.

"Good, because that part hasn't started yet," Hermione said.

"Is that something you discussed with the ladies?" Ron asked.

"Ugh, not yet," Hermione said, "I just escaped – I mean – I just left the others. I'm not exactly ready for too much advice. Thankfully my bladder made the excuse I couldn't. So.. what were you boys talking about?"

"Nothing too important," Ron said.

"I know better than that, Ron," Hermione said.

Ron looked around at Harry, Bill and George.

"Er... I'm going to go see how Victoire and Dominique are doing," Bill said, standing up and walking away.

In his stroller, Fred woke up and started crying.

"Ooh, looks like I need to find Angelina," George said, picking Fred up from the stroller and heading for the Burrow.

"Harry," Ron said, narrowing his eyes.

"We were – er –," Harry stammered, "Talking about -"

"Ginny," Ron said. "Yeah, apparently she wants another baby."

"What?" Hermione asked.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Ron and sighed.

"She's talked about it," Harry said, "Hints. Maybe she'll change her mind now. I mean... you're in the limelight now, with your pregnancy."

"Do you want another child?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Harry said. "I mean – I love James with all my heart. But he's a bit of a handful. I do want another child, sure. I want to wait for a while, though."

"But Harry," Hermione said, "Even if Ginny got pregnant tomorrow, it'd be nine months from now. James will be close to Fred's age by then."

"I know," Harry said, "But Ginny just has this thought in her head. I told Ron about it last week. You already know Ginny retired from playing Quidditch for really one reason, right? To start a family?"

"Yeah, sure," Ron said.

"Now that we have James," Harry said, "I thought she'd calm down some. But... well, she's her mother's daughter, isn't she?"

"She doesn't want seven children, does she?" Ron asked.

"There was one point where she talked about that," Harry said.

He sighed and grabbed the firewhiskey bottle and poured some into his cup, then took a drink.

"She could tell I didn't feel up to the idea of having as many children as your parents did, Ron," Harry said, "But she had it in her mind that she was the seventh child of a seventh child. Those were her words to me once. I wasn't exactly happy about it, like I said. She wasn't very happy about how I felt. She didn't talk to me for a whole day after that, actually. Okay, it's true... I'd like for James to have another brother, or even a sister. I see Bill's daughters playing over there, and I'd love to see James have that kind of future as a kid, to have someone close to him to play with. But -"

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I'm an Auror, Hermione!" Harry said, "It's not exactly the best profession for someone who wants a big family!"

Ron frowned as he looked at Hermione.

"What if Ginny and I had three or four children," Harry said, "And then something happened to me and Ginny had to raise our children on her own. I know what is like to live without a parent... both parents... I can't do that to a child."

"Harry, you shouldn't worry about that," Hermione said.

"I know," Harry said, "But it is on my mind. How many Aurors do we know that have families, Ron?"

Ron shrugged.

"Exactly," Harry said. "Mad-Eye Moody didn't have any. Kingsley was focused on being an Auror, and now being Minister. And look at Tonks. She had Teddy and -"

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Teddy's been coming over to the house a lot ever since James was born," he said. "He loves being around James. You know Teddy has quite the control over his Metamorphmagus powers now. He's incredible with it, even if he is only seven years old. He loves making animal faces and changing his hair for James, because James giggles every time. But I can't help thinking about how Teddy must feel seeing James with me and Ginny. Teddy never had a chance to know his parents. Andromeda loves him, of course, but... I see it in his eyes, guys. He's envious of James and I... I don't want James to be in Teddy's position."

"You're not thinking of leaving the Aurors, are you?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said, shaking his head, "Not yet, anyway. But... if I'm stressing this much over the thought of James being without his father... how do you think I'll feel with two or three more children who could grow up without me?"

"Harry," Hermione said, "If you're worried about that, maybe you should talk to Ginny about it."

"I don't like to worry her about that," Harry said, "She has her hands full with James... I don't even know how she can think of having another child. I just don't want her to be angry with me. What if I tell her I'm afraid of something happening and she takes that badly? I don't want to lose her because of that."

Harry sighed and drained the rest of his cup. He stood up and walked away. Ron looked at Hermione, who was frowning as she watched Harry. She turned back to Ron.

"Promise me you won't feel like he does," she said. "It's hard enough listening to him saying that stuff. I don't think I could take hearing those words coming from you. It would kill me."

"I promise, Hermione," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and put her arms around Ron, hugging him.

"God, I love you so much," Hermione said.

"I love you too," Ron said.

Hermione leaned into Ron and kissed him softly. Ron returned the kiss.

"There you two are!" Ginny's voice said, interrupting their kiss.

Ron backed away in time to see Ginny walking over to them.

"What did you say to Harry?" she asked. "He looks like something is troubling him."

"You should talk to him, Ginny," Hermione said.

"He told you, didn't he?" Ginny asked, "I should have known."

"He said you wanted another child," Hermione said.

Ginny nodded.

"It's true," she said, "I would like to have another child."

"James isn't enough of a handful for you?" Ron asked.

"James is a perfect little boy," Ginny said, "But..."

Ginny sighed and sat down near Ron and Hermione.

"You wouldn't understand," Ginny said, "And I'm sure Harry won't either."

"What's wrong, Ginny?" Hermione asked, "Tell us. We'll understand."

"As I said, James is a perfect little boy," Ginny said, "But... there's something inside of me that really wished I had a daughter."

Hermione laughed. "Is that what this is about?" she asked, "You want a daughter?"

"I'm the only daughter in my family, Hermione," Ginny said, "And I was the last child. I just want to make sure I'm not cursed."

"Cursed?" Ron asked, "You think you're cursed?"

"You wouldn't understand," Ginny said.

"Does this have anything to do with the whole 'seventh child' thing?" Ron asked.

"Harry told you about that?" Ginny asked, "Ugh... I'm going to – ugh! Okay, yes. It has to do with that. I'm the only girl Mum had. Six boys and then I came along. And now my first child is a boy. Harry's not going to understand that. I love James, of course I do... with every fiber of my being... but James is the twinkle in Harry's eye. You had to be there when we found out we would have a boy. Harry was thrilled. He had already planned on our son being named James, after his father. I'm going to sound horrible for saying this. But for a while after we found out, I was wishing that it was wrong. That we'd have a daughter."

Ginny scoffed and shook her head.

"How can I tell Harry that?" she asked, "I can't. I can't even begin to think how I could tell him. We already bicker about having another child so soon after having James."

"Ginny, you just need to talk to Harry," Hermione said. "This is something you two should work out. You talked to us about it. And Harry talked to us about it. But you two need to talk to each other about it."

Ginny nodded.

"You're right," she said, "Of course you're right."

Ginny sighed and stood up. She moved to walk off back to the Burrow, then turned back around.

"Just so you know," she said, "I'm not trying to overshadow your pregnancy with all of this, okay? I'm happy for you two. Please don't think that me talking about wanting to get pregnant again has anything to do with you being pregnant, Hermione."

"We know, Ginny," Ron said, "And thank you."

"If you and Harry decide to have another baby, Ginny," Hermione said, "Please don't worry about wanting to get pregnant while I am. You're not overshadowing us. We'd be very happy for you."

Ginny smiled and walked over to Hermione and hugged her.

"Thank you," Ginny said, "And congratulations."

"Thanks," Hermione said, chuckling.

Ginny walked back toward the Burrow.

"So what did you and the boys talk about?" Hermione asked Ron, "Because I know you just didn't talk about Ginny. You're the father-to-be, you know."

"It's kind of embarrassing, Hermione," Ron said.

"Can't be as embarrassing as what I was having to go through," Hermione said.

"I'll give you a hint," Ron said, "I'm not as scared as I was to – er – make love to you when you're pregnant."

Hermione laughed, shaking her head.

"I should have known that is what you were talking about," Hermione said.

"Hey, I didn't start that topic!" Ron said, "Harry did. He said his and Ginny's – er – intimate part of their relationship was quite energetic during her pregnancy."

"What?" Hermione asked, laughing, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, if you are anything like Ginny was when she was pregnant," Ron said, "According to Harry, that is... apparently I'll have loads of trouble keeping you off of me."

"Wait, you mean -" Hermione said, blushing.

"Let's just say it'll be like our first couple years of marriage all over again," Ron said, grinning, "Your hormones will be to blame for that, apparently."

"Oh, brilliant," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"Just something to look forward to," Ron said, laughing.

"Something to look forward to?" Hermione asked, "Right... like I want to look forward to my hormones acting up to the point where I'm some kind of scarlet woman!"

Ron laughed out loud.

"Well, if you're worried about that right now," he said, "Perhaps we could have a little practice."

Hermione blushed and Ron put his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"Ron," Hermione said, "We're not doing that here."

"Why not?" Ron asked, his lips moving toward Hermione's chin, "Look what happened the last time we did."

"Absolutely not," Hermione said, "You realize our fathers are just over there?"

"So?" Ron asked.

Ron kissed Hermione, but before he could deepen this kiss, Hermione sighed and backed up.

"I'm not doing this, or having this discussion, in your parents backyard!" Hermione said, laughing.

"I'm sure I can still carry you up to my old bedroom," Ron said.

"Ron!" Hermione said, growling, "You'll behave if you want to continue this sooner instead of later."

"Oho!" Ron said, "Me, behave? From what it sounds like, I'm going to have to make you behave before too long. And you know what they say about 'practice makes perfect'."

"I'm warning you, Ronald," Hermione said.

Ron sighed.

"Fine," he said, "But only because I know you won't be able to resist it before too long."

"Well, then," Hermione said, grinning, "I guess you do have something to look forward to."

-  
><strong>Part of this chapter had a bit to do with Ginny and Harry, because I realized as I started this chapter that Ginny probably got pregnant with her second child a few months after Hermione did, given that the two children start Hogwarts the same year. I have a feeling I know when she did, so that won't happen for a little while.<strong>


	5. A Tender Subject

**Chapter 5  
><strong>**A Tender Subject**

**(Hermione's PoV – September 21st, 2005)**

By the time five-o-clock in the evening rolled around, Hermione, Ron and her parents were the only guests left in the house. An hour before, baby Fred had gotten rather cranky, and George and Angelina made the excuse that Fred was probably tired, and had left the house. Harry, Ginny and James had stayed around a little longer, and had just left shortly before five. Bill, Fleur and their children were residents of the Burrow along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Dominique joined Louis for a nap shortly after Harry, Ginny and James left, leaving Victoire the only child awake. Bill and Fleur were currently playing with Victoire in the yard. Hermione could hear her excited giggles from the living room.

"Aha! I finally found them!" Mrs. Weasley said, walking back into the living room.

She was carrying a box with her. She set it between Ron and Hermione on the sofa. Hermione looked inside. A number of books, as well as notebooks of parchment were inside. There were also a number of plastic bags filled with potion ingredients.

"This has been in my family for years," Mrs. Weasley explained, "Given that I was pregnant six times, I've basically memorized all these books. They also helped Fleur, Angelina and Ginny as well. They'll be perfect for you to help during your pregnancy. It has all the information you need, as well as different recipes for meals that would calm down your nausea, and some potions that will help too. The ingredients in those bags are for the most common of potions that I've used over the years. I recommend the potion to help with morning sickness. It won't cure it, but you'll find your trips to the bathroom are far less, Hermione."

"Thank you, Molly," Hermione said, "I'm sure these will help quite a bit."

"Hermione loves to read," Ron said, grinning. "I'm sure she'll have all these books memorized before too long."

Hermione grinned.

"Oh, this is all so wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley said, "My ickle Ronnie going to be a father!"

"Mum," Ron said, blushing.

"For a while there," Mrs. Weasley said, "We all wondered if you'd ever have kids. When Ginny became pregnant, I asked myself when you would have the privilege, Hermione."

"Well, you know how we were so focused on our work, Molly," Hermione said. "I was actually kind of shocked when I found out. Of course, it was something Ron and I had talked about. But well -"

Hermione smiled and looked at Ron.

"To think I've been pregnant for going on seven weeks now," she said, "is kind of strange to think about."

"It's common for women to find out they are pregnant when you did, honey," Helen said, "It is usually when the symptoms begin. You have nothing to worry about."

Hermione nodded, then felt the urge to yawn, but couldn't stop it.

"Are you getting tired?" Ron asked her.

"I'm okay," Hermione said.

"We should go anyway," Ron said, "It'll be pretty late when we get back to London."

Hermione was about to retort, but another yawn interrupted her. She finally gave in, and while Ron and her parents were taking her presents to the car, Hermione went to the bathroom, just to make sure she wouldn't have to during the trip.

When she finished, Ron was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. They said their goodbyes to Bill, Fleur, Victoire and Ron's parents.

"If you need anything, you two," Mrs. Weasley asked, "I'm only one owl post, and a few seconds for apparation away."

"Mum, we'll be fine," Ron said, "We need to go. Hermione's already tired."

"Right," Mrs. Weasley said, "Goodbye you two. Congratulations again."

"Thanks, Molly," Hermione said, grinning.

Hermione and Ron hugged Mrs. Weasley and left the house, then went into her parents' car. They were soon back on the road headed toward London. Hermione laid her head on Ron's shoulder, though she didn't feel too sleepy at the moment.

"Have you two discussed doctors?" Richard asked, "Or – what are those called in the wizarding world?"

"Healers," Hermione said, "No, we haven't talked about that yet."

"Well, you'll have quite a few visits to them," Helen said, "And your father and I know quite a few doctors, including a few in the maternity department."

"Er..." Ron said, "What would happen if we chose a Muggle doctor? I mean... what would Hermione have to go through?"

"Well, she won't have to deal with too much until her second trimester," Helen said, "Maybe one more appointment in a month or so. Then you'll probably have an appointment at least once a month when she gets into her second trimester."

"Er..." Ron said, shaking his head, clueless, "Second trimester?"

"Won't happen for a couple more months, Ron," Hermione said, smiling.

"Right," Helen said, "So you actually have quite a while to choose between a doctor and a Healer."

"I talked to the Healer when I found out if I was pregnant," Hermione said, "And it sounds as if they were a bit envious of Muggle doctors. Healers don't have the machines to work with."

"Machines?" Ron asked, his eyes widening.

"Just to check on the baby, Ron," Hermione said.

"Exactly," Helen said.

"And is it safe?" Ron asked, "Because I've dealt with machines before. Some are really mental."

"Very safe, I promise you, Ron," Helen said, "Early on in the second trimester, they'll check the baby's heartbeat, and around twenty weeks in, if you two wish it, you can find out whether your baby will be a boy or a girl. They could even take a picture of your baby inside Hermione."

"They can do that?" Ron asked, "You mean... wait – a picture? Like what?"

"It means we'll be able to see what the baby looks like inside me," Hermione said.

"Brilliant," Ron said, "Maybe we should choose a Muggle doctor."

"We'll talk about it," Hermione said.

She yawned, and her eyelids suddenly felt heavy.

"Want to lay down?" Ron asked her, "The seat is big enough."

"The police won't like that if we get pulled over," Hermione said.

"I doubt we'll get pulled over," Ron said, "Right, Richard?"

"I'll be very careful," Richard said, "And you look quite tired, Hermione. You can lay down."

Hermione gave in. Ron moved over to the edge of the seat, and Hermione laid her head down on Ron's lap. Ron stroked her hair, as she fell asleep.

**(Ron's PoV – September 21st, 2005)**

Ron smiled as he looked down at Hermione, who was now sleeping peacefully against his legs.

"Must be quite exciting for you, Ron," Richard said, "Hermione being pregnant and you going to be a father."

"Hasn't completely hit me yet, actually," Ron said, "Still getting over the shock of it."

"When we found out I was pregnant with Hermione," Helen said, "Richard was in your same position. Rather shocked and speechless about the whole thing. Couldn't get too many words out of him for a couple of days. Then when I did, he kept pestering me about if I was okay."

"I guess I'm the same way with Hermione," Ron said. "Ever since she told me, I keep worrying about her. Like... I always think that every step she takes could do something to her or the baby. Part of me doesn't want her to go back to work tomorrow, because I won't be there if she needs me."

"You're doing just fine, Ron," Richard said, "Both of you are."

"And you don't have to be too worried about her," Helen said, "She's not as delicate as you might think. She'll be perfectly normal the first trimester. What she's going through is common, and for the most part, all she'll really have to deal with. The little weight she does gain is completely normal... it's just the baby growing inside her. And you might find that she's asleep more often, especially when she comes home from her job."

"Her job," Ron said, "That's what I'm worried about. I don't wish to ask her to take any more time off than she needs to. Being head of her department is very important. But..."

"She'll be just fine, Ron," Helen said, "Pregnant women work all the time."

"Okay," Ron said, "I guess I am worrying a bit more than I should, huh?"

"As happy as I am that you're worried this much for Hermione," Helen said, "You shouldn't be."

"Helen knows what she's talking about," Richard said, "I was quite worried as first, but I remember she got quite annoyed with it. You don't want to annoy pregnant women, Ron. Believe me!"

"I've already been warned that it won't be a good idea to upset her," Ron said.

"Well, if she is anything like her mother," Richard said, "It is definitely something to avoid."

"I wasn't that bad!" Helen said, shaking her head.

"You had your moments," Richard said.

Ron snickered. His eyes trailed down to Hermione, who was smiling as she was sleeping. She looked so peaceful there. He loved to watch her sleep. It had been that way for so long, even before they were married. He'd always try to wake up before her, and just watch her sleeping. She'd make little noises in her throat that were absolutely adorable.

-  
>Hermione had remained asleep until they had arrived in London, and had only woken up about ten minutes before they'd arrive at their destination.<p>

"Hello, sleepyhead," Ron said, grinning, as Hermione sat up.

"Mmm, I can't believe I was asleep that long," Hermione said, "Hopefully I can get back to sleep tonight."

Ron grinned and leaned toward Hermione.

"I'm sure I can find some way to make you tired again," Ron whispered.

"Ron!" Hermione scowled, "Not something my parents need to hear."

Ron blushed. In the front of the car, Helen chuckled as she looked at them.

"I guess I don't need to tell you about one of the other side-effects of your pregnancy," she said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Your excited libido," Helen said.

"Oh, Mum!" Hermione said, blushing, "I don't want to hear that."

"What is a libido?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed and whispered in Ron's ear. Ron's eyes widened.

"Oh," Ron said, blushing, "that."

"Yeah, that," Hermione said.

"It's just a normal part of the whole thing, Hermione," Helen said, "Actually it's a preferred exercise during pregnancy."

"Ugh, this isn't exactly something I want to discuss with you two," Hermione said.

Ron just laughed.

A few minutes later, they arrived at Ron and Hermione's house. Using magic, Ron transferred all of Hermione's gifts into the house.

"Call us if you need anything," Helen said, "We're less than an hour away."

"We will, Mum," Hermione said, "I promise."

"I'll take good care of her, Helen," Ron said.

"I know you will," Helen said, "Good evening you two."

"Good night, Mum, Dad," Hermione said.

Hermione and Ron walked up the driveway, and waved to her parents as they backed out onto the street. Hermione and Ron then went inside.

"How are you feeling?" Ron asked, "Are you hungry? We have leftover cake that Mum gave us."

"I'm okay," Hermione said, "Actually I want to take a look at those books."

"Oh," Ron said, "Okay."

Ron decided to take a shower, and when he was finished, he found Hermione in her pyjamas, laying on their bed. Her face was hidden behind a book. Ron climbed into bed and laid down next to her.

"It's been quite a while since I've seen you with a book in bed," Ron said, chuckling.

"Mmhmm," Hermione said.

"I forgot how cute you look when reading," Ron said, "You're eyes dart back and forth. I love that."

"Mmhmm," Hermione said again.

"Are you even listening to me?" Ron asked.

"Mmhmm," Hermione said, for a third time.

"Hermione!" Ron said, sighing.

Hermione chuckled and looked over at Ron.

"Of course I'm listening," she said, "I'm just trying to read this. This is what I'll be going through. I want to know about this."

"Mmhmm," Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to reading her book. Ron chuckled. He moved a hand over to Hermione's stomach, covered by a pyjama shirt.

"When do you think you'll be able to feel something?" Ron asked.

"Not for quite a while, Ron," Hermione said, "Probably a few months or more. I could find that out if you'd let me read."

Ron nodded and moved his hand across the shirt, then up under it, massaging Hermione's stomach gently. He then moved his hand up higher toward Hermione's chest.

"Ron," Hermione said, "Do you want me to read this or not?"

"Not," Ron said.

With his free hand, he took the book from Hermione, then kissed her softly on the lips.

"I thought you knew it was dangerous taking a book away from me," Hermione said, her voice muffled against Ron's lips.

"I'll just have to make you forget about that," Ron said, chuckling.

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron back. Ron moved his hand up a bit more, and Hermione hissed against Ron's lips. Ron backed his hand away.

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked.

"Er," Hermione said, "I'm not sure.."

Hermione sat up, and lifted up her pyjama shirt. She put a couple fingers against her left breast.

"That's really hot, you know," Ron said.

Hermione gasped softly.

"Whoa... are you okay?" Ron asked.

"Just feels a bit... odd," Hermione said, shrugging, "When you touched it, it was like sparks went to my chest. It felt weird. That never happened before. I just feel rather... tender."

"I knew this was a bad idea," Ron said, sighing.

"Ron," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "It isn't a bad thing. It sort of felt rather good."

"Oh?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded and took Ron's hand. She put his hand gently to her left breast. He lightly ran his thumb over it. Hermione moaned softly. She took off her shirt, and laid back down on her pillow. She grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him closely toward her. Ron's lips crashed onto hers, and he kissed her. She invited his tongue in and Ron massaged her tongue with his. Ron put his hand back on Hermione's breast and she moaned against his lips.

"You okay?" Ron asked, backing away momentarily.

"Ron," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes, "Ask me that again, and I'm going back to my reading."

Ron grinned and kissed her again.

-  
><strong>This chapter was rather short, and I was going to have some more in it, but I decided that it could wait for the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one!<strong>


	6. Pardon Me!

**Chapter 6  
><strong>**Pardon Me!**

**Author's Note: Even this is a loose sequel to a trilogy of my stories, this chapter has references to a storyline in Butterfly Kisses. Sorry if you are confused with that. Also, just in case you think Ginny's also pregnant again, she's not. Not yet, anyway. **

**(Hermione's PoV – September 26th, 2005)**

For the third time in four hours, Hermione found herself walking back to her office after a trip to the loo. She had done this quite a few times over the past week, and she was surprised that nobody had really noticed. She walked into the room outside her office, where her rather elderly secretary, Delilah Fairborne, was trying to look as if she was busy.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Weasley?" Delilah asked.

"How many times do I have to ask, Delilah?" Hermione asked, "You can call me Hermione. And yes, I'm fine."

"You seem to be spending a lot of time out of the office this week," Delilah said, "More than usual, I mean."

Hermione sighed and looked out the small window in the doorway. Nobody was nearby.

"If I tell you something," Hermione said, "You can't tell anyone else. I'll give the announcement when I see fit."

"My lips will be zipped," Delilah said.

"On the Monday before last," Hermione said, "I found out that I'm pregnant."

"Really?" Delilah asked, "Congratulations, young lady."

"Mmm, thank you," Hermione said. "That is why I've been having to get out of the office."

"Restroom breaks, I'm guessing," Delilah said.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"If you wish," Delilah said, "I can put a good word into the Magical Maintenance, and request an adjoining restroom from your office."

"That would actually be quite helpful," Hermione said.

"I'll do that straight away," Delilah said, "Oh, and while you were in the restroom, a couple of could-be clients came in. Apparently they have a gripe against this department. They're waiting in your office."

"Who are they?" Hermione asked.

"They said their names were Draco and Astoria Malfoy," Delilah said.

"Oh," Hermione said, slowly.

"You're familiar with them?" Delilah asked.

"Oh, yeah," Hermione said, "Thank you, Delilah. Take any more memos when they come. I'll take them later. I have a feeling this is going to take a while."

"Of course," Delilah said, smiling.

Hermione returned the smile and walked toward her office. She sighed as she put her hand on the door-handle. Draco and Astoria Malfoy. She hadn't dealt with these two for quite a while. The last time she had heard from them was when Astoria, who was rather friendly with Hermione, Ron and their friends, had announced that she and Draco had gotten married in a private ceremony. That was over two years ago now.

Hermione cleared her throat and opened the door, walking inside. Draco and Astoria looked over their shoulders back at her. Draco had a rather sour expression on his face, but Astoria looked rather happy. Hermione wasn't too surprised at this. Astoria was known for her rather cheery disposition. Hermione remembered when Ron voiced his opinion after they had received Astoria's marriage announcement. He had said that he never expected Draco to marry Astoria. Astoria was considerably different than Draco. She was much more kind than Draco usually was.

"Good – er – afternoon, I guess it is now," Hermione said, as she rounded her desk and sat down in her large, comfortable leather chair, "How may I help you?"

"This department deals with house-elves, am I correct?" Draco asked.

"Yes, Draco, it does," Hermione said, smiling, "We look after the welfare of house-elves, and hope that we can give them what they deserve."

"And what is that?" Draco asked.

"Well," Hermione said, "we respect that they desire to work for wizards and witches, but we also want them to realize that they deserve the rights that every other working individual has."

"Meaning payment, I assume," Draco said.

"That is commonly what we work toward, yes," Hermione said, "May I ask what your business is with my department?"

"For the past couple of years," Draco said, "a number of House-Elves have been working for me and Astoria in our house. Now, over the past month or so, we've discovered that the house-elves seem to be disappearing. At first, we thought they had died. A couple of them were rather old. But when we discovered that those who were... er – well in health – had gone missing, we decided to report it to authorities. We took it to the Auror department, and I couldn't believe what they told us."

"May I ask what they said?" Hermione asked.

Draco scoffed.

"They told us it had become very common for house-elves to leave their workplace," Astoria said. "They said that these days it isn't uncommon for House-Elves to wish for payment. They referred us to this department."

"I completely understand," Hermione said, "I believe your house-elves have done what we like to refer in this department as a cross-over."

"A what?" Draco asked.

"A cross-over," Hermione said, "It is when the house-elves realize that they should get credit for the work they do."

"Credit," Draco scoffed, "You mean they wish to be paid."

"Most likely, yes," Hermione said, "Given that you are of desirable wealth, I wouldn't see it as a problem for you to give them each a galleon a month for their work."

"A Galleon a month?" Draco asked, "Rubbish."

"We usually offer five galleons a month," Hermione said, "But the house-elves are usually fine with a Galleon a month."

"Well, is there anything you can do?" Draco asked, "That wouldn't end up with us paying them?"

"That would be against everything I work for, Draco," Hermione said.

"You don't understand," Draco said, "Recently, over the past couple of months, Astoria and I have been put into a position where we really, really need those house-elves."

"I'm sure there is no position important enough," Hermione said, "that would make me approve anything that doesn't consider giving the house-elves their due pay, Draco."

Draco scoffed and stood up.

"She can't help us, Astoria," Draco said, "Come on."

"She can help us," Astoria said, remaining in her seat, "We just have to tell her the truth."

"We agreed to keep it quiet," Draco said, "My parents don't even know!"

"You know how many times I've considered that rubbish, Draco," Astoria said, "They'd be happy to know."

Draco narrowed his eyes at his wife, then looked at Hermione.

"Fine," Draco said, "Tell her. But on your own head be it!"

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

"Draco and I are going to have a baby," Astoria said, grinning.

"You're pregnant?" Hermione asked.

"A little over three months now," Astoria said.

"Congratulations!" Hermione said.

Draco scoffed.

"Draco, this is wonderful news," Hermione said, "You're going to be a father."

"Oh, he's happy," Astoria said, "Even if he doesn't show it."

"Of course I'm happy," Draco said, "I'm bloody thrilled... as long as -"

Draco sighed and sat back down in his chair. Astoria rolled her eyes.

"Draco doesn't want his parents to find out," Astoria explained, "He's even gone as far as to attempt to put me under house arrest."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Astoria gave you a letter announcing our wedding a couple years back, right?" Draco asked.

"Sure," Hermione said, "She said it was a private wedding."

"Very private," Draco said.

"He didn't invite his parents," Astoria said, "My parents were the only witnesses."

"My parents aren't very happy with my marriage to Astoria," Draco said. "You remember what happened years ago with Astoria's sister, I assume? What I had to deal with?"

"Of course," Hermione said.

"My parents never blamed me when I should have been blamed for my actions," Draco said. "They blamed Astoria and her family, all because of what her sister did. My parents hate Astoria's parents now. They're not happy with me. And I just know they're not going to welcome their grandchild with open arms."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Draco," Hermione said.

Draco nodded. Suddenly, Hermione felt a rumble in her stomach. It wasn't a symptom of nausea. She had enough experience with that. This was an entirely new experience in her pregnancy. Suddenly, without warning, Hermione belched rather loudly. She put a hand to her mouth.

"Pardon me," she said, "I don't know why I did that. One moment."

She stood up and walked across the room. She took a small glass, and picked up a pitcher of water and poured some water into the glass. She then took a drink, then suddenly belched again.

"Oh dear," Hermione said, "I apologize."

"I would assume so," Draco said.

"Draco, be nice," Astoria said, "You obviously don't see what is going on."

"What?" Draco asked.

"Hermione," Astoria said, grinning, "I'm not the only one in this room who is expecting, am I?"

Hermione blushed and shook her head.

"You're pregnant," Astoria said.

"I'm almost into my eighth week," she said, grinning.

"Wait," Draco said, looking from Astoria to Hermione, "Are you telling me Ron finally knocked you up? Ow!"

Astoria had slapped Draco on the back.

"Be nice!" Astoria said, then grinned toward Hermione. "I've had my fair share of gas, Hermione."

"This isn't very civil discussion, darling," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Gas?" Hermione asked, blushing, "You mean... oh dear."

She knew what that meant. Belching wasn't going to be the only new symptom she'd be dealing with.

"That's a little bit concerning," she said.

"Just a part of being pregnant," Astoria said, "I'm just about to finish my first trimester, and I've dealt with it a lot."

Astoria stood up from her chair rather gently. Hermione could see that Astoria, who was usually quite lean, now had a bit of tummy on her.

"Sit down," Draco said, "You'll injure yourself."

"I will not," Astoria said.

"Is that right?" Draco asked, "Because I remember quite well how you said you didn't want me to touch you."

"Ignore him," Astoria said, walking over to Hermione, then lowered her voice. "He's mad because I've put a stop to his sex life."

"I thought pregnancy increased that," Hermione said, "Not decreased it."

"It has its ups and downs, believe me," Draco muttered.

"Talking about it now, are you?" Astoria asked.

"It's all I can do right now, honey," Draco said, "A couple weeks ago I couldn't stop you. Now I'm lucky to get it once a week."

"I'm sorry my body doesn't agree with your desires, Draco," Astoria said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I guess it is a part of the whole pregnancy thing," Astoria said. "I'm sure it will come back."

"Yeah, when?" Draco asked.

Astoria rolled her eyes.

"But at the moment," she said, "I just don't feel up to the whole idea of sex. My body just opposes it, I guess."

"Oh," Hermione said, "And this will happen to me?"

"Not for another month, probably," Astoria said.

"Ha," Draco said, laughing, "That's rather funny to think about. I can't imagine how ol' Ron will react to that. I'm sure he loves crawling all over you. Or maybe not. You have been married for five years and this is your first child? Maybe Ron doesn't have to get used to not having sex with you. Maybe he already is."

"Draco, you realize you're in the room with two pregnant women?" Astoria asked, "I'd keep that mouth shut."

"Hmmph," Draco said.

"Astoria, can I ask you something?" Hermione asked, "Do you ever feel... tender in places?"

"You're talking about your chest, aren't you?" Astoria asked, grinning.

Hermione blushed.

"Tenderness isn't the only thing you'll have to deal with," Astoria said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"You think my breasts are normally this big?" Astoria asked, grinning.

"I wish!" Draco muttered.

Astoria narrowed her eyes.

"You mean...?" Hermione asked, "I'm going to -""

"I mean you should invest in bigger bra sizes, Hermione," Astoria said, nodding.

"Oh my," Hermione said.

"You really didn't know about that?" Draco asked, "Geez, you really have changed since Hogwarts. What, you can't find any books on pregnancy?"

"I have quite a few books, thank you very much Draco," Hermione said, "I just never expected..."

"I actually feel sorry for your husband, Hermione," Draco said, shaking his head, "He has no idea what he's getting himself into."

"Oh, and you do?" Astoria asked, "Just how many books on pregnancy have you read, my dear husband? I'll answer that for you. None. If you think I'm a pain right now, you should realize you're in for six more months."

Draco scowled and Hermione laughed.

"Can we get back to the reason we're here?" Draco asked, "I deal with pregnancy issues quite a bit at home, thank you very much. If I knew I was going to be meeting up with another pregnant witch, I'd find someone else to talk to."

"Well, what do you want, Draco?" Hermione asked, "You really expect me to find your house-elves and ask them to go back to the way they were? It is impossible, I'll tell you that right now. Either you give each of them a Galleon a month, or you'll be cleaning your house on your own."

Draco sighed and looked from Hermione to Astoria. The look on Astoria's face quelled Draco, and his expression softened.

"Fine!" Draco said, "A Galleon a month for each of them. When can I get them back?"

"If you give me their names, I can contact them and tell them what is going on," Hermione said, "They might be back in your house by this time next week. They do have names, don't they?"

"They do," Astoria said, "He just never cared to learn them."

Astoria walked back to the table and took a quill and a piece of parchment. A moment later, she walked back over to Hermione and gave her the piece of parchment.

"Okay," Hermione said, "I'll see what I can do."

"Good," Draco said, "Can we go now, Astoria? Or do you want to continue this meeting of the mother-to-be minds?"

"We can go," Astoria said, then turned back to Hermione, "Congratulations, Hermione. I'm very happy for you. You'll be a wonderful mother."

"So will you," Hermione said, smiling, "Congratulations. You too, Draco."

"Yeah, yeah," Draco said, "Thanks. Come on, Astoria."

Astoria rolled her eyes and grinned at Hermione. She then followed Draco out of the office. Hermione smiled to herself. Draco Malfoy, a father-to-be. She thought she'd never see the day that happened.

-  
>At five that evening, Hermione returned to her house via the Knight Bus. Ron was in their kitchen, working on dinner. But the smells coming from the kitchen didn't seem very welcoming.<p>

"Ugh, Ron," Hermione said, as she walked into the kitchen, "What are you fixing?"

"Fish," Ron said, shrugging.

"Fish?" Hermione asked, sighing.

"Yeah," Ron said, "Why?"

"You haven't read those books like I asked you to, have you?" Hermione asked, "Fish isn't on the suggested menu for someone in my condition."

"You were fine when we had fish and chips last weekend!" Ron said.

"That was last weekend, Ron," Hermione said, "My appetite changes quite rapidly."

"Fine, I'll have the fish," Ron said, sighing, "What do you want?"

"Uh," Hermione said, "Ice cream. Oh, and chicken!"

"In that order?" Ron asked, laughing.

Hermione nodded.

"Why?" she asked, "is that a problem?

"Er... not at all!" Ron said, "Go get changed and I'll see what I can do."

"Good," Hermione said, "Because I have some news for you."

"Uh-oh," Ron said, "Did something happen to you?"

"A new symptom introduced itself today, yes," Hermione said, "But that's not what I'm talking about."

"Well, get out of those clothes and into something more comfortable," Ron said, "And you can tell me."

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron on the cheek, then left the kitchen to take a relaxing bath.

-  
>"You're joking?" Ron asked, his mouth open wide.<p>

An hour later, Hermione and Ron were sitting at the dining table. Ron had convinced Hermione to have her dinner in order, so Hermione was eating roasted chicken and Ron had promised her a large bowl of ice cream when she was finished. Hermione had just explained to Ron about the clients she had that day.

"No, I'm not," Hermione said.

"Draco Malfoy is going to be a father?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded and grinned.

"Wow," Ron said, "That's... I'm shocked."

"I'm happy for him," Hermione said, "Having a kid will probably calm him down quite measurably. Anyway, yeah, Astoria's almost finished with her first trimester."

"Did you ask her about what you'll be expecting?" Ron asked, "I'm sure she knows a bit more than you do."

"Yeah, she told me some stuff," Hermione said, "You know that my breasts have gotten a bit tender, right?"

"Er... sure," Ron said.

"It's because they're going to be growing in size," Hermione said.

"Growing?" Ron asked, "You mean -"

"For a while, they'll probably be a bit bigger," Hermione said.

"Brilliant," Ron said, grinning.

"Oh, well, I'm glad you're happy about that," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, come on," Ron said, "You know I love every bit of you."

"Just something more to love, huh?" Hermione asked, "Is that what you were going to say?"

Ron suddenly became focused on the fish in front of him.

"It was actually kind of funny talking to Draco and Astoria," Hermione said, "Draco doesn't know what to do. I wouldn't be surprised if this will be their only kid. I don't think he's too sure what to do about it all. That's okay... Astoria seems to know what she's going to be dealing with."

"Did she tell you anything else?" Ron asked, "Anything we can expect in the coming weeks?"

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped herself. She was going to tell Ron that their sex-life would probably be put on hold after a while, but she knew he probably wouldn't handle that very well. He'd just have to deal with that when the time came.

"Not really," Hermione said, "She is putting on a bit of weight though. Not too much, but it's visible."

"Already?" Ron asked.

"Well, the baby's practically doubled in size by that time," Hermione said, "Where do you think it is going to go?"

"Something else to look forward to," Ron said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Me being fat."

Ron laughed. "So... er... you said you had a new symptom today?" he asked.

Hermione blushed.

"Yeah," she said, "Er..."

Suddenly, Hermione felt a rumble in her stomach. Then, without warning, a burst of flatulence escaped her, and she blushed. Ron's eyes widened, and he chuckled.

"I'm guessing that's the new symptom?" he asked, laughing.

"It's not funny!" Hermione said, "It's embarrassing!"

"Oh, come on," Ron said, "It isn't that bad."

"It is something else I'm going to have to deal with," Hermione said. "I'm going to have to deal with it at work!"

"Wait – you mean you -" Ron said, grinning, "Did you – do that at work?"

"No," Hermione said, "it isn't the only part of the symptom. I also belch quite a bit. It isn't funny! I belched in front of Draco and Astoria!"

Ron laughed. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, come on!" Ron said, "That is sort of funny."

"I'm a lady, Ron," Hermione said, "Ladies shouldn't do that."

"I'm sure it is quite common for women in your position," Ron said.

Hermione was about to reply, but a sudden belch interrupted her. Hermione sighed. Ron stood up and walked over to her, hugging her.

"Hey," Ron said, "You shouldn't feel too bad about that."

"But it's embarrassing!" Hermione said.

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Ron said. "To be honest, it's kind of cute."

Hermione scoffed.

"Do you want your ice cream now?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded.

"You can bring it to me in the living room," she said, standing up, "I'm going to do more reading."

"Again?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, "I'm lucky it is Friday. I have two whole days to find a blasted potion to cure my gas before I have to go back to work."

Ron just laughed out loud.


	7. Halloween

**Chapter 7  
><strong>**Halloween**

**(Hermione's PoV – October 31st, 2005)**

Over the past month, Hermione had started to feel normal again. The symptoms of nausea, constant bathroom breaks, and various outbreaks of gas were still an everyday thing for Hermione, but she had learned the recipes to brew a few potions and her gas and morning sickness, which occurred more than just in the morning, had calmed down quite measurably.

There were still a few side-effects that Hermione had to go through. Her sleeping habits had already changed quite a bit. It wasn't uncommon for Ron to come home from work and see Hermione asleep in their bed, or on the couch. That wasn't the only thing that was changing. Measuring her breast size had become a weekly routine for Hermione. This was actually something that Ron enjoyed thoroughly. What Ron didn't enjoy though was Hermione's constant changes of appetite. Ice cream and chicken was still on the menu, but now, along with fish, Hermione had also removed all recipes that had to do with pasta and variations of ham and pork.

Early Halloween afternoon, Ron was filling the bathtub with hot, soapy water. Over the past couple of weeks, he and Hermione had found a new tradition in their routine of dealing with Hermione's pregnancy. Hermione's muscles had started to go tense every now and then, and Ron had suggested, to an amused Hermione, that he could give her relaxing massages. Most of these massages usually happened in the bathtub, because the warm water was so soothing to Hermione's muscles. There were many days when Ron and Hermione would bathe together, and Ron would give her massages while washing her back.

They would usually do this in the evening, but Hermione had insisted on an earlier time that day. She and Ron would be experiencing Halloween traditions at their new house for the first time, and this was much different than any in the past. In Shell Cottage, they had nobody to come to their door for candy, because the tiny cottage was the only house around for miles. Now, they were in the middle of a large neighborhood, which meant kids would come by that evening for trick-or-treat. This was something Ron had never experienced. It wasn't a common practice in the wizarding world. Hermione knew it was something to look forward to.

She walked into the bathroom in her robe, and was walking past the mirror when she noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. She went back to the mirror and looked at her reflection. She then turned sideways, looking at her profile and her eyes widened as she looked at her stomach.

"Oh, brilliant," Hermione muttered.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked, looking up from the bathtub.

"Come here a moment," Hermione said, "Stand behind me."

Ron did as was requested.

"Do you notice anything different?" Hermione asked.

"Like what?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed and pointed to her stomach.

"It's growing," Ron said, "Just barely... but you can tell."

Hermione pouted. Ron chuckled and put his arms around Hermione and massaged her stomach gently with his hands.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "You were prepared for this ever since you talked to Astoria."

"Yeah, but now it is happening to me," Hermione said, sighing, "It's completely different."

"It just tells you that our baby is growing," Ron said, kissing Hermione's head, "That's a good thing."

"I know," Hermione said, staring at herself in the mirror, "It's just -"

"Just what?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to be fat," Hermione muttered.

Ron's chuckles were muffled against Hermione's hair.

"Not for a while," he said.

"Oh, great," Hermione said, "Thanks for telling me I'm not wrong."

"You knew this would happen, Hermione," Ron said, "Fleur, Angelina and Ginny all had considerably large bellies during their pregnancies. Fleur had to deal with that three times. And she is usually slim as a stick!"

Hermione growled.

"Hermione, you're beautiful," Ron said, "You're stunningly beautiful. I've thought that for many years now, and that will never stop."

"Yeah, right," Hermione said.

"You doubt me?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to look disgusting when I'm fat," Hermione said.

"No you won't," Ron said, "For your information, you look quite adorable right now. You're extremely sexy."

Hermione scoffed. Ron kissed Hermione's head once again and walked back over to the bathtub. He turned off the faucet, and then climbed in and took a seat. Ron beckoned Hermione over with a finger. Hermione smiled and took off her robes, then joined Ron, and sat between his legs, her back facing his chest. Ron put his hands on Hermione's shoulders, and started massaging them gently.

"You know what this means though," Ron said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"We're going to have to take you shopping for clothes," Ron said, "Sooner or later, you won't fit in anything you currently own."

Hermione pouted again. Ron just chuckled and kissed Hermione's neck. Hermione grinned as she felt Ron's hands press ever so gently across her skin. This had calmed her down measurably.

"Ron," Hermione said.

"Hmm?" Ron said, as his hands moved down Hermione's back.

"I was jotting down stuff on my calender yesterday," Hermione said, "Going through things that I will be expecting pretty soon with the pregnancy, you know."

"Yeah," Ron said, "And?"

"And next week, I'll be finished with my first trimester," Hermione said.

"Oh?" Ron said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Which means in a couple of weeks, it will be time for my first check-up."

"Oh, yeah, right," Ron said.

"Ron, we need to talk about that," Hermione said, "We haven't exactly discussed whether we'll be going to a Healer or a Muggle doctor."

"Well, what do you think we should do?" Ron asked.

"Would it be okay if we went to a Muggle doctor?" Hermione replied.

"Hermione, what ever you want," Ron said. "You know I'll go along with it."

"I knew that would be your answer," Hermione said, sighing.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Ron replied, "Whatever you feel is best, we'll do."

"Well, don't you want to know what we'll be going through?" Hermione asked, "What I'll be going through?"

"I already know it'll have to do with machines," Ron said.

"Right," Hermione said.

"And we'll be able to see if our baby is going to be a girl or a boy," Ron said.

"Not for another couple of months, Ron," Hermione said, "This would be just be a check-up. To make sure the baby is okay. But... Ron... are you really sure you want to know what the gender will be when that time comes?"

"Yeah," Ron said, "That's routine, isn't it?"

"Well, kind of," Hermione said, "Many times, the couple wants to be surprised."

"Surprised?" Ron asked.

"They want to wait until the baby is born to know what the gender is," Hermione said.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Just because it is a big thing for a couple to experience," Hermione said, "Sometimes the surprise is worth the wait."

"Yeah, but Hermione," Ron said, "How would we know what to buy for the baby if we don't know if they'll be a boy or a girl?"

"That is an upside to knowing the gender, yes," Hermione said.

"Well, we have a couple of months before we have to decide that, right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"Okay," Ron said, "We can worry about that then."

"Okay," Hermione echoed.

Ron kissed Hermione neck again, and Hermione smiled, then laid head back against Ron's chest. Ron moved his hands around to Hermione's front and rubbed them against Hermione's stomach, then up toward her breasts. Over the past month, her breasts had grown at least a cup size, much to Ron's delight. Ron rubbed his fingers across the skin of Hermione's breasts. It was one of his favorite things to do, and ever since the tenderness feeling had gone away, Hermione had grown more comfortable with this. Ron's free hand traveled across Hermione's stomach and down a bit farther. As Ron's fingers ventured, Hermione started to feel rather uncomfortable and she brushed his hand away.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"Not right now," Hermione said.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," Hermione said, "It's just -"

"Oh," Ron said, "Ohh, great. We're at that stage already."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Harry warned me that there would be days where you weren't feeling very romantic," Ron said.

"Oh," Hermione said, blushing, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you knew about that."

"You knew about it?" Ron asked.

"Kind of," Hermione said, "Astoria was in the same position I'm in when I talked to her last month, and – well – let's just say Draco wasn't very happy with her."

"Wait," Ron said, laughing, "You mean he – they -"

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"And how long does this last?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said.

"Oh," Ron said.

Hermione giggled and took Ron's hand and put it on her stomach.

"You can still give me massages, you know," Hermione said, "I'll always be in the mood for that."

"Good," Ron said.

"Ron," Hermione said, "I know you're going to be dealing with a lot of stuff with me shortly. But I assure you. No matter how... moody I become..."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron chuckled.

"Or anything like that," Hermione said, grinning, "know that I love you. Nothing will ever stop that."

Ron smiled and Hermione turned her head toward him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I love you too, Hermione," Ron said. "Even if you don't let me prove it."

"Oh, I'm sure you can find ways to prove it," Hermione said, "Even if it isn't the usual way."

Ron pouted. Hermione grinned and kissed him again.

-  
>That evening, Hermione was sitting in the living room. Hermione had bought a few bags of candy the previous day. Some of them were for the kids who would come along, but Hermione had reserved some for herself and was now indulging herself on it. She knew her parents would yell at her if they knew she was having this much sugarless candy, but her appetite had craved it. Across the room, a fire was roaring in the fireplace, and it gave the room a nice orange glow.<p>

"I can't believe you're making me wear this," Ron muttered as he walked into the room, "I look ridiculous!"

Hermione looked up from one of the maternity books she was reading, and grinned as she saw Ron. He was wearing a long purple robe and a wizard's hat. Both were adorned in golden stars. A toy wand was sticking out of a holster on the belt that buckled around Ron's robes.

"This isn't what wizards usually wear!" Ron said.

"That is what Muggles think wizards look like, Ron," Hermione said, "And I think you look bloody adorable!"

"Why can't I use my usual wand for my costume?" Ron asked.

"Because Muggles don't think wands look like what we use," Ron said, "That is a Muggle magician's wand."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Your first customers!" Hermione said.

She stood up and followed Ron over to the door.

"What do I do?" Ron asked.

"They have to say 'trick-or-treat' and then you give them the candy," Hermione said, "But they have to say it first."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"It is tradition," Hermione said, "Now go on."

Ron picked up the basket of candy and opened the door. Hermione peered around Ron and saw three kids at the door. One of the boys was in a large puffy pumpkin outfit, while another was in a pirate costume. The girl was dressed up as a princess.

"Trick-or-treat!" the kids said in unison.

"Happy Halloween," Ron said, as he offered the bucket to the kids.

Each of the kids took a small handful of candy.

"Don't eat too much of that in one setting now," Hermione said.

"Thank you!" the kids said, as they ran off back down the sidewalk.

Ron shut the door and grinned.

"So?" Ron asked.

"You did brilliant!" Hermione said.

"That was kind of fun," Ron said, chuckling, "Are you just going to keep eating that candy, or do you want me to make you some real food?"

Hermione was about to answer, when the doorbell rang again. Ron turned around and opened the door. Harry, Ginny, and Teddy were standing there. James was asleep in a stroller.

"What a surprise!" Hermione said, grinning, "Come on in."

"We thought Teddy would like to do some trick-or-treating," Harry said, "And we were in the area. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Hermione said, "Hi, Teddy! Nice costume!"

Teddy was dressed up as a werewolf, or rather what Muggles thought they looked like, which was considerably different to the real thing.

"Thank you," Teddy said.

"I was about to make dinner," Ron said, "Have you eaten?"

"Oh, we don't want to stay too long," Ginny said.

"We insist!" Hermione said.

"Oh, all right," Harry said, "What's on the menu?"

"Whatever Hermione wants, right?" Ginny asked, grinning.

"Mmm," Hermione said, "Chicken and stuffing. And potatoes."

"And ice cream?" Ron asked.

"You know me too well," Hermione said.

In his stroller, James woke up and started crying.

"Oh, I think he needs a change," Ginny said, "Good thing I haven't put him in his costume yet."

"How about I help you with that, Ginny?" Hermione asked, "And Harry and Ron can make dinner."

"Okay," Ginny said.

"I'll find something on the telly for Teddy to watch," Ron said.

"Nothing scary, Ron!" Ginny said, "Andromeda would kill me if Teddy had nightmares."

Ron grinned and led Teddy into the living room. Hermione led Ginny down the hallway.

"We can use the spare bedroom," Hermione said, opening the door to the bedroom across from her and Ron's.

"You're already decorating the room?" Ginny asked, as Hermione followed her in.

"Kind of," Hermione said, "This is my old crib and prep table from when I was baby. After he found out I was pregnant, Dad started working on the crib. He put a new coat of paint on it. He just brought them over last week. Ron and I decided not to work on the actual decorations for a while."

"Have you discussed whether you want to know if you'll have a boy or a girl," Ginny said, as she gently put James on the prep table, "I mean.. when that time comes?"

"We touched on the subject today," Hermione said, "But we decided to wait until that time comes."

"You're – what – almost out of your first trimester now?" Ginny asked.

"Yep, next week," Hermione said.

"Oh, you have a little while to discuss it then," Ginny said, "Do you know what you want to do already?"

"Ron sounds like he's pretty eager to find out what we're having," Hermione said, "But I don't know... I kind of like the surprise part of it."

"Harry and I didn't need that discussion," Ginny said, "We wanted to know as soon as possible. It was one of the best memories of the whole thing, when we found out I had this little guy inside me."

Hermione grinned as she watched Ginny make a face at James. James giggled.

"Do you know what you hope it'll be?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, I haven't really thought of that," Hermione said, "I'm just really focused on stuff happening now. Speaking of..."

Hermione lifted her shirt up a little to show Ginny her stomach.

"Oh," Ginny said. "So begins the interesting part: your tummy growing."

"Yeah," Hermione said, sarcastically, "Great."

Ginny laughed.

"You're not looking forward to that, are you?" she asked.

"Not exactly," Hermione said, "I just know I'm going to be fat... like really fat."

"Oh, maybe not," Ginny said, "There are all degrees of weight gain during your pregnancy. It all depends on how your baby decides to make its temporary home inside you."

"You hear that?" Hermione said, looking at her stomach, "It's up to you not to make me fat."

Ginny laughed, which only made James laugh.

**(Ron's PoV – October 31st, 2005)**

"Trick-or-treat!" a little boy, dressed in a super-hero costume, said.

"Happy Halloween," Ron said, smiling.

"Thank you!" the boy said.

He took a handful of candy and hurried off down the sidewalk. Ron closed the door and walked back into the kitchen.

"How does Hermione like her potatoes?" Harry asked, as he looked through one of the cupboards.

"Mashed," Ron said, "With garlic. Loads of garlic."

"Ah," Harry said, "The herb phase."

"Huh?" Ron asked.

"Ginny went through many phases of her appetite," Harry said, "For about a month, she wouldn't eat anything, unless it had a bunch of seasoning on it. She loved garlic and salt on everything. Lemon juice as well. I was happy to get past that phase. Didn't help with her breath too well. Bit of a turn-off."

"Oh," Ron said, "I'm not exactly worried about what will turn me off right now."

"Oh, no," Harry said, "Are you serious? You're already at that stage?"

"Yeah," Ron said, shaking his head.

"Since when?" Harry asked.

"Today, actually," Ron said. "I was giving her a massage in the bathtub, and my hands wandered, and, well – she slapped them away."

"Ouch," Harry joked, "I feel sorry for you, mate."

"How long does that last?" Ron asked.

"Do you really want to know that answer?" Harry asked.

"Just give it to me," Ron said.

"Well, Hermione might be different," Harry said, "But when Ginny started that whole thing... I was lucky to do what we did the two times we did in the span of one month."

"A month?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, mate," Harry said, "A month."

"And there isn't anything that could make that better?" Ron asked.

"Sorry, mate," Harry said, "I doubt Felix Felicis could help you during this phase."

"Brilliant," Ron said, sarcastically.

"Relax," Harry said, "I haven't given you the good news."

"Good news?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "To put it a way that is suitable for Halloween... you just have to get through the tricks and then you'll find you'll like the treats."

Ron raised his eyebrows, then he laughed when he realized what Harry meant. He just hoped he could get through the next month.

-  
><strong>I meant to have Teddy involved a bit more in the chapter, but I couldn't find much to do with him. Aw well. <strong>


	8. Sound and Sight

**Chapter 8  
><strong>**Sound and Sight**

**(Hermione's PoV – November 15th, 2005)**

"You're sure we can trust this... doctor?" Ron asked.

"Relax, Ron," Helen said, "Dr. Sterling is a great friend of mine. If he had been a doctor back when I was pregnant with Hermione, I would have trusted him with everything."

"Okay," Ron said, "Wait, it's a guy? A bloke is going to be dealing with maternity stuff?"

"I'm sure he's quite experienced in this stuff, Ron," Hermione said.

"How can he be?" Ron asked, "He's a bloke! How much can a bloke know?"

"Ron!" Hermione said, taking Ron's hand and squeezing it lightly "Just calm down. You're more nervous than I am."

Ron, Hermione and her parents were in one of the rooms at the Muggle hospital for the first of many check-ups. A gentleman in his forties entered the room.

"Good morning," he said, "I am Dr. Sterling, the head OB-GYN."

"The what?" Ron whispered to Hermione.

"I'll explain it later," Hermione said.

Dr. Sterling grinned and looked at a clipboard on the table near the hospital bed.

"So, Mrs. Weasley," Dr. Sterling said, "How are we feeling today?"

"Call me Hermione," Hermione said, "And I'm fine, I guess."

"It's okay to be nervous," Dr. Sterling said.

"Actually, my husband is more nervous than I am," Hermione said, grinning as she looked at Ron.

"Happens all the time," Dr. Sterling said, grinning at Ron, "Most of the time, the spouses are never sure what is going on. I assure you, mate, your wife will be perfectly fine. Right now, Hermione, I'm going to ask you to get into one of the hospital gowns. It will make it much easier."

Dr. Sterling walked over to the cupboard across the room and took out a light-blue paper-thin hospital gown.

"A gown?" Ron asked.

"It is routine procedure, Ron," Hermione said, taking the gown from the doctor.

"I'll assume you two are Hermione's parents?" Dr. Sterling asked, looking at Richard and Helen.

Richard and Helen nodded.

"Usually we let the spouse stay with the patient," Dr. Sterling, "But -"

"Oh, we understand," Helen said, then looked at Hermione, "Your father and I will be just right outside."

"I'll take care of her," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and Helen and Richard left the room.

"I'll just give you a bit of privacy while you change," Dr. Sterling said, "I'll look over your papers while you are changing."

"Okay," Hermione said.

Dr. Sterling smiled and walked out of the room. Hermione undressed and Ron helped her a little bit. In the past two weeks, ever since Hermione had first discovered she was putting on weight, she had put on quite a bit more, and her tummy was now sticking out a couple of inches. A few days ago, Hermione and Ron had gone on a shopping trip for maternity clothes. This was more fun for Ron than for Hermione, because Hermione had to try on various clothes, and Ron wanted to decide what looked good on her.

"You're going to be wearing that?" Ron asked, as Hermione put on the gown, "It looks more revealing than that lingerie outfit I bought you a couple years ago."

"It's supposed to be that way," Hermione said, chuckling, "It gives the doctor easy access to check up on the baby."

"I still don't know why a bloke is doing all of this," Ron said.

"Ron," Hermione said, "You don't have to be jealous. I'm sure he does this all the time. Everyday, probably."

"But.. a bloke?" Ron asked.

Hermione stood up and put her arms around Ron.

"It's going to be fine," she said, "This is completely routine. It will probably only take a few minutes actually. All they'll do is -"

Hermione was interrupted when the door opened a bit and Dr. Sterling looked inside.

"Ready?" he asked.

Hermione nodded and returned to the table. Dr. Sterling walked in, and he wasn't alone. A nurse joined him, and she had brought along a rather large machine.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"This is a Fetal Heart Monitor," Dr. Sterling said.

"Er..." Ron said, shaking his head.

"It will check the baby's heartbeat," Dr. Sterling said, "And seeing that you are – let's see... you're one week out of your first trimester, is that correct, Hermione?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Fourteen weeks is usually a wonderful time for this procedure," Dr. Sterling said. "You'll be able to hear your baby's heartbeat."

"Really?" Ron asked.

"I'm almost sure of it," Dr. Sterling said.

"Brilliant," Ron said, grinning.

"While Judy, here, is setting up the machine," Dr. Sterling said, "I'll just go over the checklist."

He put two fingers on Hermione's wrist and after a moment, he nodded.

"Pulse is wonderful," he said.

He then took the stethoscope from around his neck and put the buds to his ears, then put the end of the tool over Hermione's chest.

"Heartbeat sounds a little rapid," Dr. Sterling said, "But that may just be because you are nervous. I wouldn't worry about that. Okay... you haven't had any troubles going to the restroom. Everything going smoothly there?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Any bleeding anywhere?" Dr. Sterling asked, "Nosebleeds... no redness in your undergarments?"

"No," Hermione said.

"You're back isn't probably feeling the best at times, right?" Dr. Sterling asked.

"It has its bad moments," Hermione admitted.

"That's to be expected," Dr. Sterling said, "As the baby grows, and your stomach grows along with it, you'll find that happens a lot."

"Wonderful," Hermione said, sarcastically.

Dr. Sterling chuckled.

"If you don't mind me asking," he said, "How is your libido?"

"Not exactly proper," Hermione said, "as my husband likes to tell me every day."

Ron blushed.

"Not to worry," Dr. Sterling said, "You'll get that back. Oh, the machine is ready. If you will, lay down on the bed. I'll have Judy go through this part."

Dr. Sterling smiled and walked out of the room.

"Good morning," Judy said, taking a seat near the bed, "Hermione... is it?"

Hermione nodded, as she laid down on the bed.

"Beautiful name," Judy said, smiling, "One moment."

As the nurse put some gel on the machine, Hermione suddenly felt very nervous. Ron must have noticed, because he walked over to her and held her hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I just... I'm scared of what we're about to hear. What if something isn't right?"

"I'm sure everything is perfect, Hermione," Ron said, then looked at the nurse, "Right?"

Judy smiled and lifted part of Hermione's gown. She put the machine on Hermione's stomach. Hermione tensed up.

"Don't worry," Judy said, "Just have to find what position the baby is in, and then we'll be able to find the heartbeat."

Several moments passed as Hermione watched the nurse move the machine around. She was starting to get very nervous again, and she squeezed Ron's hand. Ron looked at Hermione, then looked at the nurse.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, "Does it usually take this long?"

The nurse opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a sudden thumping sound coming from the machine. Judy grinned.

"There it is!" she said.

She quickly went silent, and the only sound in the room was the distinct sound of thumping. Hermione felt tears to her eyes as the most beautiful sound she had ever heard in her life was coming out of the machine.

"Is that...?" she asked, "That's our –?"

"That's your baby's heartbeat," Judy said.

"Our- our baby's -" Ron said, "Blimey."

Hermione looked up at Ron through teary eyes and saw that he had tears in his eyes as well.

"It is very strong," Judy said. "Just what I wanted to hear. Your baby is very healthy. Which means -"

"What's wrong?" Ron asked, quickly.

"Nothing's wrong," Judy said, as she lifted the machine away from Hermione, "But I am going to request that your wife has another appointment in two weeks."

"But," Ron said, looking at Hermione, "I thought it was once a month?"

"This is routine, I promise you," Judy said, "Actually, it is something you should look forward to. We heard your baby's heartbeat today. But in a couple of weeks, I think we'll be able to do a bit more than that."

"Well, if it is something we should look forward to," Ron said, "I'm all for it."

"Wonderful," Judy said, "I'll just let you get dressed, Hermione, and I believe that is all that can be done today."

"Thank you," Hermione said.

Judy left the room, pushing the large machine with her.

"That was absolutely incredible," Ron said, "Was that really our baby's heartbeat?"

"It was wonderful, wasn't it?" Hermione asked.

"Best thing I've ever heard," Ron said, "What do you think is the other thing that lady was talking about?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione said, "I guess we'll find out, huh?"

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – November 29<strong>**th****, 2005)**

Two weeks after her first visit, Hermione found herself back in the hospital once again. Ron was with her once again. This time, Mr. Weasley had come along, insisting that he wanted to know all about the machines Muggle doctors used. Hermione was sure that Mr. Weasley was probably taking a self-tour of the hospital.

Dr. Sterling and Judy walked into the room. A couple of gentleman were pushing two machines into the room, and Hermione recognized one as the Fetal Heart Monitor. The other machine had a large television screen hooked up to it.

"We meet again!" Dr. Sterling said, smiling, "How are you feeling today, Hermione?"

"Oh, you know," Hermione said, "Back aches... my belly keeps growing... at least another inch now."

"The basic routine," Dr. Sterling, "I'm happy to hear that."

Dr. Sterling went through the same checklist he had done the first go around and reported that everything was going well. He then left the room.

"We're going to be doing two things today," Judy said, "The first is the same thing we did last time. But this time, I think your baby's heartbeat will be strong enough for a recording."

"A recording?" Hermione asked.

"Yep," Judy said, "We'll be recording the heartbeat, and you'll be able to take a copy of the recording home on disc if you ever wish to show your family. That's not all, either. But first things first."

Soon, Hermione was laying on the hospital bed, with the same machine over her stomach. This time, however, the heartbeat came right away, and the thumping sound was quite a bit stronger than before. Judy smiled.

"Well, you'll be happy to know," she said, "that your baby seems to have found his temporary position inside of you. He's in the same spot he was two weeks ago."

"Is that a good thing?" Ron asked.

"It's a very good thing," Judy said, "It means your wife will be very comfortable in the coming weeks. And if the next test goes well, there may be more to it than that. But first things first."

She pressed a few buttons on the machine.

"You should have a recording of the audio very shortly," she said, "And now to the other part."

Judy pulled the Fetal Heart Monitor away from Hermione. She then pulled another machine toward Hermione, and plugged a long tube-like object into the machine. She picked up the other end, and put the same gel she applied to the other machine onto it. She then put the end of the machine on Hermione's stomach, and moved it around with one hand, while working the machine with the other one.

"Keep an eye on the telly," Judy said, grinning.

Hermione did so, as the screen came into focus. Suddenly, there was a new picture on the screen, and Hermione gave a very audible gasp.

"Bloody hell," Ron gasped.

From the position the machine was against Hermione's belly, Hermione and Ron could see the baby's profile on the screen. Tears streamed down Hermione's face, as she looked at the screen. The baby's head, face and body were there as clear as day. She could also just make out the nose and lips.

"That's our baby, Ron," Hermione said, wiping tears away from her eyes.

"I know," Ron said, "I – bloody hell, look at him.. or her..."

"Ah, as for that," Judy said, "I'm afraid you'll have to wait another month or so before you can find out whether it is a boy or a girl."

"That's okay," Hermione said, "We haven't decided whether we want to do that."

"Well, that will be up to the two of you, of course," Judy said, "Now... it is procedure to ask, but most of the time I know the answer. Would you like a picture of your baby to take home?"

Hermione nodded and grinned.

"We'd love that," Ron said, "Thank you."

Judy smiled and pressed a few buttons on the machine.

"Now," Judy said, "There is one more thing, Hermione. Over the next couple of weeks, don't be afraid if you feel a force against your stomach."

Hermione gasped when she realized what the nurse was talking about.

"You're sure?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," Judy said, grinning.

"What?" Ron asked.

Hermione sat up slowly and whispered into Ron's ear. His eyes widened and he grinned.

"Bloody hell," Ron said, "You're serious?"

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Wicked," Ron said.

"Oh!" Judy said, as she looked at the machine, "The recording and printout are finished."

Judy worked with the machine, and a moment later, she handed Hermione a compact disc, which had been placed in a protective sleeve, as well as a photograph.

"I'll just let you get dressed," Judy said, smiling.

Judy walked out, leaving the machines in the room for the moment. Tears streamed down Hermione's eyes once again, as she looked at the photograph.

"Our baby," she said to Ron, "Can you believe it?"

"Actual proof it exists," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and Ron learned toward her and kissed her forehead. Hermione kissed his lips and backed away to get dressed. While Hermione put on her clothes, Ron stared at the photograph. When she was finished, she walked over to Ron, who hadn't taken his eyes off the photograph.

"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked.

"Wondering if our baby is a boy or a girl," Ron said.

"You really want to know," Hermione said, "Don't you?"

Ron smiled and nodded.

"But it can wait," Ron said, "We don't have to find out, when that time comes, if you don't want to."

Hermione looked down at the picture then looked back up at Ron.

"No, Ron," Hermione said, "I do want to. I realize that now."

"Really?" Ron asked, grinning.

"My next appointment will probably be right after Christmas," Hermione said. "I can't think of a more perfect Christmas gift than learning what our child is going to be."

Ron smiled. He leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly. As she kissed him back, Hermione realized she didn't need Ron to say it for her to know that he had agreed with her.


	9. Chapter 9: No Title

**Chapter 9  
>No Title<strong>

**Author's Note: First off, this chapter has no title because I wanted the contents to be a surprise. Also, because I keep constantly skipping a week or two, from now on, so it gets easier for you readers (and me), I will be putting what week Hermione is in at moments in this, and future, chapters. Also, Harry's house in this chapter is the same one I wrote about in "Harry Potter and the Return to Hogwarts". Sorry if you haven't read that, and are a bit confused. Also, I will be going into a different PoV for a section of this chapter.**

**Now to answer a question from a review:**

**Q: What are they realizing at the end that Hermione whispered to Ron?**

**A: It has something to do with what will happen sometime during this chapter. To make it more clear, I'll give a more definitive answer at the end of the chapter. I didn't want to reveal it that early, so it would be a better surprise when it came.**

**(Ron's PoV – December 17th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 18 Weeks)**

"What will it be today, Mr. Weasley?" Tom, the barman of the Leaky Cauldron, asked Ron, "The usual?"

"Sounds great, Tom," Ron said, "Could you make two of that, actually? Hermione's been begging me to bring some of your wonderful food home. I had half a day today, so I'll be able to take lunch home to her."

"Of course I can do that!" Tom said, "I'd be happy to. How is the wife, by the way?"

"Still pregnant," Ron said, grinning, "I think her halfway mark is around Christmas."

"You should bring her here sometime," Tom said.

"I wish I could," Ron said, "She's always so tired after work. I'd never tell her this, but it is obvious she's now in that part of her pregnancy where she'll be gaining a bit of weight. I'm sure she knows it, because she's not very happy about going out in public, except to go to work. Well... that's stopped for a bit too. She's cooped up at home after giving herself an early Christmas holiday.. I'll be lucky if she accepts going to my family's place for Christmas. "

"Well, I'll make something nice to cheer her up, okay?" Tom asked.

"Thank you," Ron said, smiling.

A little while later, Tom was finished. He gave Ron two sacks of food, which Ron paid for and thanked him once again. Ron apparated home and headed inside.

"Hermione!" Ron called out, as he headed into the kitchen, "I brought lunch home. Stuff from the Leaky Cauldron, like you've been asking for."

"I'm sure that's what you want, isn't it?" Hermione's voice called out.

"What?" Ron asked, as he turned around.

"Look at me!" Hermione said, as she marched into the kitchen.

Ron did so. Hermione had one hand behind, her supporting her back. Over the past week, her lower back had pushed inward, and her weight had shifted. Usually her outfits could hide it, but now her belly was protruding inside her shirt a little bit, so it was easy to tell she was pregnant.

"You're absolutely beautiful," Ron said, "You know that."

Hermione scoffed rather loudly.

"Every bloody day I keep growing," she said, "Not up... out! Even if it is an inkling, I feel it! I feel it in my back the most. I'm going to keep getting fatter, and it's not going to stop!"

"Hermione," Ron said, shaking his head, "Of course, it will."

"It won't," Hermione growled, "And it is your fault!"

"My fault?" Ron asked.

Ron tried his best to hide a grin. He knew this was just Hermione's hormones talking.

"You put this thing inside me," Hermione said. "You keep feeding me big meals. You bring home stuff for me to eat, knowing I can't resist it because of my cravings. You're making me fat!"

"Hermione," Ron said, "You're not fat."

Hermione lifted up her shirt.

"Look at me!" Hermione said again.

"I see nothing wrong," Ron said, "It just means -"

"Of course you see nothing wrong!" Hermione said, "Because it isn't happening to you. It is happening to me!"

"Hermione," Ron said, "You're taking this all out of proportion."

"Don't use those big words on me, Ronald Billius Weasley!" Hermione yelled, "I don't want to hear it. My back's been aching all day. I could be working now if I wasn't in this position! Do you realize how many house-elves work around this time of the year? Do you know how many of them are going to work without payment... all because I can't do a bloody thing about it because you made me this way?"

"You can work from home, you know," Ron said, "And if your back hurts, I can massage it for you. That always helps."

He walked over to Hermione and put his arms around her in a gentle hug. Hermione growled and Ron backed away.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Don't touch me!" Hermione growled, "That's the reason I'm this way in the first place!"

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Ron said, "Don't you think you're being a bit unreasonable?"

As soon as he said that, Ron realized he shouldn't have. He could see the anger growing in Hermione's eyes.

"Unreasonable?" Hermione asked, "I'll show you unreasonable! Out!"

"What?" Ron asked.

"You heard me," Hermione growled. "Get. Out! You can sleep at Harry's house tonight! I don't want to see you!"

"Hermione," Ron said, shaking his head.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY!" Hermione roared, "I said out! Where's my wand? Did you take my wand? Give it back -"

"I didn't take your wand, Hermione," Ron said. "It's probably in our bedroom where you usually keep it."

"It isn't our bedroom tonight," Hermione growled, "I'm going to get my wand, and I swear on Merlin's damned grave if you are still here when I get back –!"

"I can't leave you by yourself, Hermione," Ron said, "You know that."

"Well, then tell Ginny to come over," Hermione said, "At least she won't try to fatten me up!"

Ron grinned. He knew he couldn't be mad at her about this. He just needed to let her cool down.

"Okay," Ron said, "I'll go. I'll tell Ginny to come over."

"Smartest thing you ever said in your life!" Hermione muttered.

"I'll see you in a little while," Ron said.

"You wish," Hermione said.

Knowing that Hermione wouldn't accept a real kiss at the moment, Ron blew her one, and she just scoffed. Ron grinned and apparated. A few moments later, he landed on the sidewalk going to Harry's house. The Potter residence was the same it had been for going on six years now. The same house Harry had lived in before he was even engaged to Ginny. Ron walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the front door. A few moments later, it opened. Harry and Ginny stood there.

"Can I come in?" Ron asked.

"Sure, mate," Harry said, "Where's Hermione?"

"At home," Ron said, as he walked in to the house. "She's – er – going through one of her moods, and I'm not exactly welcome there at the moment."

"She kicked you out?" Ginny asked.

"She thinks she did," Ron said, "I'm just letting her cool down. Though I could use some help. I told her I'd ask you to go over there, Ginny."

"You should go," Harry said to Ginny, "I'll take care of James. You probably know the best way to calm Hermione down."

"I'll see what I can do," Ginny said, grinning, "I'm sure by the time I get back, you'll be welcomed back in your house."

"And if not," Harry said, "I'll set up one of our couches for you, mate."

"Thanks for that encouragement, Harry," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"I'll be back soon," Ginny said.

Ginny smiled and disappeared a moment later.

"So what did you do, Ron?" Harry asked.

"I didn't do anything," Ron said, "Well, I brought lunch home from the Leaky Cauldron and told Hermione about it. I don't think she liked that. She accused me of trying to make her fatter."

"She's not that fat," Harry said, "Is she?"

"No," Ron said, "Okay, her back has decided to give her problems, and now her weight has shifted a bit, so it is rather obvious she's pregnant. But she's not fat."

"Say no more, mate," Harry said, "I remember that part well. Ginny was the same way when she realized her belly was starting to grow."

"Did she react the same way?" Ron asked.

"She didn't kick me out if that is what you mean," Harry said.

"Brilliant," Ron said, "That makes me feel loads better."

"Relax, mate," Harry said, "It's just one of her moods. I'm sure she'll get over it."

"I hope so," Ron said.

"Lighten up," Harry said, "Actually this is quite the milestone."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"The first hormonal rage outbreak is always the worst," Harry said. "Hermione's just going through the denial phase of her pregnancy. Once she accepts that her weight gain is a normal part of her pregnancy, she'll lighten up."

"Brilliant," Ron said, sarcastically.

"Relax, mate," Harry said, "I'm sure Ginny knows what she's doing."

"And if she doesn't?" Ron asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Harry said.

Suddenly, Ron and Harry heard James crying in the living room.

"Come and help me change James," Harry said, "And I'll teach you something that will make it easier to get through Hermione's mood-swings."

**(Ginny's PoV – December 17****th****, 2005)**

Ginny apparated onto the front step of Ron and Hermione's house, and knocked on the door.

"Ronald, I thought I told you to go!" Hermione's voice yelled out inside the house.

Ginny grinned and shook her head. She didn't know what Ron did, but she had her doubts that he had deserved it enough that Hermione had to raise her voice like that. Ginny was about to speak up and reveal herself to Hermione, when the front door opened.

"Oh," Hermione said, in the doorway, "It's you."

"Yes, it's me," Ginny said, "I thought you were expecting me. Can I come in?"

"If you want," Hermione said.

Hermione backed up, and as Ginny followed her sister-in-law inside, she noticed that she was wincing a bit.

"You okay?" Ginny asked.

"I'm just peachy!" Hermione said.

"Well, how about we get you comfortable," Ginny said, "And you can tell me all about it."

Ginny helped Hermione into the living room, and helped her get comfortable on the couch in the living room. Ginny then sat at the end of the couch.

"Are you hungry?" Hermione asked, "Ron brought food from Leaky Cauldron. He probably meant for him and me to eat it, but right now I don't care if he eats anything. It is on the table there."

"I think I'll let you and Ron have it," Ginny said.

Hermione scoffed.

"What was that?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not really in the mood to see Ron right now," Hermione said.

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

"Because, Ginny," Hermione said, "He made me fat!"

"Hermione, you're not fat," Ginny said.

"I am!" Hermione said, "Look at me. I had an adorable little tummy a few weeks ago, and now I have this!"

Hermione lifted up her shirt. Ginny just shook her head.

"You're complaining about that?" Ginny asked, "Bloody hell, Hermione. It's a bug bite compared to what you'll – I mean, compared to what I went through."

She almost said that it was compared to what Hermione would have to deal with sooner or later, but she didn't think Hermione would like to hear that.

"This isn't me, Ginny," Hermione said, "I shouldn't be like this. Ron made me like this. He made me fat."

"Hermione," Ginny said, "This is normal. It just means that your baby is growing inside of you. That's a good thing. It means that the baby is healthy and that it is growing. If you want me to be brutally honest, I can be. I mean... you do realize how many weeks you're into your pregnancy?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Eighteen weeks."

"Exactly," Ginny said, "A normal pregnancy lasts about forty weeks. You're not even halfway through it."

"I know that, Ginny," Hermione said.

"Do you?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"So if you know that," Ginny said, "then you'll realize that this little – well, this little bug bite of a belly you're dealing with is nothing compared to what you'll end up with."

"Yes, I realize that," Hermione said.

"Then why-oh-why are you angry at Ron over something like this?" Ginny asked. "You said it yourself that he made you fat. This isn't fat, Hermione, believe me!"

"I do believe you," Hermione said.

"Why are you angry at Ron then?" Ginny asked again.

"Because," Hermione said, "He keeps fixing me food, and he knows I'll eat it and it will make me even fatter."

"Hermione, that isn't something to blame Ron for," Ginny said, chuckling, "You need nourishment to keep yourself and your baby healthy. Ron's taking care of you. He's not trying to make you fat. To be honest... you're not actually fat. That's not your weight your gaining. It is your baby's."

Hermione's expression suddenly lightened.

"So... I'm not fat?" Hermione asked.

"Not at all," Ginny said.

Ginny saw tears running down Hermione's face.

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione said, shaking her head, "I'm horrible, aren't I?"

"You're not horrible," Ginny said.

"I am," Hermione said, "I kicked Ron out of the house."

"No, you didn't," Ginny said.

"I did," Hermione said, "I told him to go, and I threatened to curse him if he didn't go."

"You didn't do a good job then," Ginny said, "Because he's already planning on coming back. He's just waiting for me to give him the heads-up."

"If he planned on coming back," Hermione said, "Why did he leave?"

"Because you asked him to," Ginny said. "You do realize he'll do anything you want him to. That is how much he loves you. He'll do anything to make you happy... especially during your pregnancy. You told him to leave, so he left."

"I'm bloody horrible," Hermione said. "Ron doesn't deserve me."

"Yes, he does, Hermione," Ginny said. "You deserve each other, and both of you deserve that baby growing inside you."

"Can you bring him back to me?" Hermione asked. "Tell him to come back."

"You're sure?" Ginny asked. "Because if you were close to cursing him this time, I don't want to think about what will happen next time."

"I'm sure," Hermione said, "I won't curse – oh!"

Hermione sat up and looked at her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked.

Hermione put a finger to her mouth and continued to stare at her stomach.

"Whoa!" she said again, "I – I think I feel it."

Tears leaked from Hermione's eyes.

"Ginny," she said, grinning, "I feel my baby."

"Oh?" Ginny asked, then realized what Hermione meant, "Oh!"

"Go get Ron!" Hermione said, "Hurry. I don't want him to miss this."

"As you wish," Ginny said, grinning.

She stood up and apparated on the spot.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – December 17<strong>**th****, 2005)**

"And you're sure it will work?" Ron asked, looking at the piece of parchment he was holding, "This recipe?"

"Of course," Harry said, "It's stronger than a Calming Draught. Whenever you think Hermione is going through one of these moods again, put a little in her drink, and it'll calm her down. Not all the way, though. Ginny was still moody. But... well, I'm sure you remember Hermione's moods around the time you first discovered she was pregnant, right?"

Ron nodded.

"She'll go back to that," Harry said.

"Oh, I'll take that over the alternative any day," Ron said, "I -"

He was interrupted by Ginny appearing out of thin air.

"So?" Ron asked her.

"Go," Ginny said, "She wants you back there. Right now."

"You did it?" Ron asked.

"I didn't need to," Ginny said, "You'll see. Go! She's in your living room."

Ron nodded and disapparated, then apparated back into his house a moment later. He walked into the living room.

"Hermione?" he asked.

"Shh!" Hermione said, "Come here."

She motioned toward the couch, and Ron walked over and sat on the end of it.

"Hermione," Ron said, "What's going –?"

"Be quiet," Hermione said, then gasped, "Oh!"

"Are you okay?" Ron said, leaning toward her.

"Do you remember what that nurse told us during my last appointment?" Hermione said, "What I whispered to you?"

"I don't – oh!" Ron said, his eyes widening, "Wait – you mean -"

Ron looked at Hermione's stomach, then back to her face. She smiled and nodded.

"It's moving around," Hermione said, then winced slightly, "There it goes again. Heh... I think our baby likes my voice."

Hermione took Ron's hand and put it on her stomach. Ron looked back at Hermione's stomach, and rubbed his hand gently across it.

"Feel that?" Hermione asked.

Ron frowned and shook his head.

"It's okay," Hermione said, "I wasn't sure you would. I kind of doubt you'll be able to feel something right away. I don't think the baby's big enough for that."

"Hermione," Ron said, "I'm sorry, I – I shouldn't have brought home lunch. I'll cook healthier food for you. Maybe it will help your weight."

"Ron," Hermione said, shaking her head, "It doesn't matter. Just forget about everything I said. It doesn't matter anymore."

"But," Ron said, "What abut me making you fat?"

"You aren't, Ron," Hermione said, smiling, "It's our baby. I've come to realize that now. I'm probably going to get bigger, but that doesn't matter... because it only means that our baby is growing. It means it is healthy."

Ron smiled. Hermione sat up slowly and leaned toward Ron and kissed him. Ron returned the kiss, but before he could deepen it, Hermione grunted and backed away.

"You okay?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, looking down at her stomach and grinning. "I'm definitely okay."

**If you didn't guess, the answer to the question at the start of the chapter is that Hermione had explained to Ron that their baby was going to be moving around quite a bit before too long. That started in this chapter. When will Ron feel their baby? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out!**


	10. Jealousy

**Chapter 10  
>Jealousy<strong>

**(Hermione's PoV – December 24th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 19 Weeks)**

On the night of Christmas Eve Hermione lay comfortably on the couch in her living room. She was dressed in green and red pyjamas that Ron had bought for her for an early Christmas. The best part of the pyjamas, were that they were made of stretchy elastic, and fit comfortably and probably would do so even when her belly started to grow larger. Her legs and feet, both of which were currently a bit swollen, as they had been at random times over the past week, were propped up on top of two large pillows. Hermione had just accepted this as a new symptom to her pregnancy, though it hadn't left her very happy with the current situation.

She looked up at Ron, who was currently decorating a large Christmas tree that he had bought a couple days before, and frowned to herself. Decorating the Christmas tree had become a tradition for the two of them over the past few years. Even though they had never once held a family party at Shell Cottage, the house had always been decorated for Christmas, something the two of them worked on together. This year, however, Hermione had not lifted one finger to help with the decorations. Ron had insisted that he could do it all. At first, Hermione wouldn't hear a word of it, but after realizing it was chore to walk too far on her swollen feet, she had given in and was left to watching Ron do the work.

"Ron," Hermione said.

"Hmm?" Ron asked.

"Do I have to go to the Burrow tomorrow?" Hermione replied.

Ron sighed and put down the Christmas ornament he had in his hand, then walked over to Hermione. He kneeled onto the ground next to her and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"We've talked about this, Hermione," Ron said, "You know how much our family would miss us if we don't go."

"Who said anything about you not going?" Hermione asked, "You could go without me."

"Do you honestly think I'd go and leave you here all day?" Ron asked, "No way. And... what about your parents, eh? They've already offered to take us down there again. Your parents haven't celebrated Christmas at the Burrow for a few years now. You know they are looking forward to this."

"Yeah, but Ron," Hermione said, "Look at me. My feet and ankles are swollen. I have stretchmarks, Ron! I'm not even halfway through my pregnancy, and I already have stretchmarks!"

Ron shook his head and chuckled. He kissed Hermione's forehead again.

"You're beautiful, Hermione," Ron said, "I'll curse anyone who says differently."

"What about the weather?" Hermione asked.

Old Man Winter had brought an early Christmas gift of his own. Snow had fallen a couple days before, and had covered all of London, and much of the area in a beautiful white blanket of snow.

"What about it?" Ron asked.

"Snow isn't exactly the best thing for me to be going out in, Ronald," Hermione said, "Especially with my swollen feet and ankles. I wouldn't be able to walk in that."

"I can carry you," Ron said, "You don't weigh that much yet."

"You're not carrying me," Hermione muttered.

"I'm not?" Ron asked, grinning.

"Ronald!" Hermione growled, "I forbid you to carry me."

"Do I have to you remind of your doctor's appointment, sweetheart?" Ron asked.

"Oh," Hermione said, "I kind of forgot about it."

"Well, I haven't," Ron said, "Your appointment is the day after Christmas. And we're not missing that, right?"

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "I'm not missing that. Especially when it means we'll be able to find out the sex of our baby."

"Exactly," Ron said, "And that is two days from now. I don't think that snow is going to melt in two days."

"No, probably not," Hermione said.

"Well, if you can get up to go to your appointment the day after tomorrow," Ron said, "Then I think you can go to the party tomorrow."

Hermione pouted.

"Fine," she said, "We can go. But you better hope I feel a lot better tomorrow. You don't want me in a bad mood on Christmas."

"Why do you think I've made you so comfortable tonight, sweetheart?" Ron asked.

Hermione smiled. She beckoned Ron toward her with a finger, and he willingly accepted. He leaned in toward her, and she kissed him softly on the lips. But just as she could deepen the kiss, she felt a nudge in her stomach.

"Oh!" Hermione said, backing away from Ron.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked.

"I think our little one is excited," Hermione said, chuckling softly.

She pushed her blanket down, and pulled up her pyjama shirt, revealing her stomach. She and Ron both stared at her stomach and waited for a moment.

"Anything?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head.

"Probably just needed to stretch," she said.

"Wait a minute," Ron said, "I think I know what's going on. A theory."

"Oh?" Hermione asked, "And that -?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Ron learned toward her and kissed her softly. Hermione chuckled and returned the kiss. Suddenly, she felt another nudge.

"Oh!" Hermione said, backing away, "There it goes again."

Ron just chuckled and shook his head.

"I should have known," he said, laughing.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Usually when it – you know – kicks you – or nudges you," Ron said, "What is going on?"

"It likes to interrupt me when I am talking," Hermione said, grinning, "Bit annoying, really."

"I don't think they're trying to interrupt you, Hermione, "They're telling you that they love your voice. I don't know if it can hear you yet, but maybe it doesn't have to. It's reacting from what it is feeling. It feels your voice vibrate, and it reacts to you. And then, tonight, when I kissed you – well, it is no secret you get excited when I kiss you, right?"

Hermione blushed and nodded.

"It felt that somehow," Ron said, "It felt your excitement there."

"Maybe it is jealous," Hermione said.

"Jealous?" Ron asked, chuckling.

"You kissed me twice and it reacted to it," Hermione said, "You said that our baby loves my voice. I think that, at the moment, our baby is really attached to me – not just physically, but emotionally."

Hermione grinned and looked at her stomach.

"She – he – whatever it is," she said, "I think it wants me all to itself. They don't like when you kiss me."

"Oh, no," Ron said, laughing, "There is no way I'm letting the baby have you all to itself right now. Not when our sex-life is finally getting back to normal."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but chuckled anyway.

-  
>A couple hours later, after dinner and a hot bath by herself, Hermione went into the bedroom, but found that Ron wasn't there. She walked throughout the house, and finally found Ron in the kitchen. He was stirring something in a large pot.<p>

"I thought I was the one who was supposed to always be hungry," Hermione said.

"I'm not cooking food," Ron said.

"Then what are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"It is a surprise," Ron said, "Go get ready for bed. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I don't like surprises, Ron," Hermione said.

"I promise you that you'll like this one," Ron said, "I'll show you what it is very soon. I promise."

"I better like it," Hermione grumbled.

She headed back to the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She removed her bathrobes and laid down on the bed. Lately she had been used to sleeping naked, because the maternity books she had read had hinted that it might help to cure the stretchmarks she so despised seeing. She didn't care about the chilly weather outside, because between the heat radiating from Ron when he wrapped his arms around her at night, and the warmth of the room, it felt like a normal summer day.

Suddenly, Hermione felt yet another nudge against her stomach.

"You're not asleep yet?" she asked.

She sighed and massaged her stomach with her hands, rubbing it softly.

"You want to hear my voice," Hermione guessed, "Okay. What should I say? Well, it is Christmas Eve. So..."

Hermione smiled and recited _The Night Before Christmas _as she massaged her stomach.

Just as Hermione finished the story, Ron walked in, carrying a large pan and a washcloth.

"What is that?" Hermione asked.

"Your surprise," Ron said.

He set the pan down on the floor near her and kneeled to the floor.

"Sit up and put your feet down here," he said.

Hermione shrugged and did as was requested. Ron soaked the washcloth in the pan of water, then rubbed it across one of Hermione's feet.

"Whoa," Hermione said, "It kind of tingles."

"It's supposed to do that," Ron said.

"That isn't normal water, is it?" Hermione asked.

"It's a potion," Ron said, "I found it in one of those books Mum gave us. If it works, then I won't have to carry you tomorrow."

"You're not going to carry me anyway," Hermione muttered.

Ron chuckled.

Ten minutes later, he pushed the pan away.

"How do they eel?" he asked, "Your feet I mean."

Hermione lifted one of her feet and looked at it. The swelling had gone down measurably.

"It feels wonderful," Hermione said, and lifted both of her feet back onto the bed, "They feel a lot better."

"Then it is working," Ron said. "By morning, the swelling should be completely gone."

"Remind me to thank your mother," Hermione said.

Ron grinned.

"I'll be right back," he said.

He left the room, and Hermione looked back at her stomach.

"You're jealous of your Daddy, aren't you?" she said, "You want me all to yourself."

Hermione massaged her stomach, lightly.

"You don't need to be jealous," she said, grinning, "Your Daddy loves you just as much as he loves me."

"Did you say something?" Ron asked, as he walked into the room.

"I've just been talking to our baby," Hermione said.

"Oh?" Ron asked, climbing into bed and laying next to Hermione, "And was it a one-sided conversation?"

"Mmm, let's find out," Hermione said.

She leaned toward Ron and kissed him softly on the lips, then backed away momentarily. Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione put a finger to her lips, quieting him. After moment, she grinned.

"I think it is finally asleep," she said.

"Finally," Ron said.

Hermione leaned back toward Ron, kissing him softly. Ron returned the kiss, and Hermione laid back against her pillow, as Ron leaned toward her and deepened the kiss, caressing her lips with his tongue. She briefly parted her lips and Ron gently slipped his tongue in between them massaging it against hers.

-  
><strong>Wow, this was chapter was a lot shorter than I first planned it. Originally I planned for what was in this chapter to be the beginning, and add Christmas into it, but I decided I'll put Christmas in a new chapter. <strong>

**Also, I'm not entirely sure if at this many weeks into a pregnancy, the baby is as active as I described in this chapter. If not, I apologize. I thought it'd be rather cute to add this little part into the story.**


	11. Daddy Issues

**Chapter 11  
>Daddy Issues<strong>

**(Hermione's PoV – December 25th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: End of 19 Weeks)**

When Hermione woke up on Christmas morning, Ron wasn't in bed, as he usually was, waiting for her to get up. Hermione took her robe from the bedside table and put it on, then stood up slowly. Her feet, which usually hurt in the morning, ever since they started to become swollen, weren't giving her any problems. She smiled and left the bedroom. After a trip to the bathroom to relieve herself, she left and saw Ron walking toward her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Ron said, "Merry Christmas."

"'Sleepyhead?' Hermione echoed, "How long have you been up?"

"It's a little past nine right now," Ron said, "So... about four hours."

"Ron, you're never up at five in the morning," Hermione said.

"Well, that's going to have to change pretty soon, right?" Ron asked, "After our baby is born. So I thought I could use the practice."

"Ron, you don't have to do that," Hermione said, "I already know I'll have to get up at all hours of the night when our baby needs me."

Ron walked over to Hermione and put his arms around her. He hugged her and looked at her.

"Love, do you really think,"he said, "I'd make you get up every time our baby is going to need us during the night?"

"Well, no, I guess not," Hermione said. "But -"

"But what?" Ron asked.

"Our baby isn't due until sometime in May," Hermione said, "You have plenty of time before you have to get used to waking up early."

"Well, that's not the only reason I wanted to wake up early," Ron said, "Come with me."

Ron took Hermione's hand and led her toward the kitchen. As she got closer, wonderful smells started wafting through her nostrils. As soon, as they reached the kitchen, Hermione gasped at what she saw. On every available surface in the kitchen lay trays of cookies, brownies and other goodies.

"Ron, you didn't have to do all of this," Hermione said.

"I wanted to," Ron said.

"But... why?" Hermione asked, "I mean... you've never cooked this much in your entire life!"

"Well, you know how you've been asking me over the past few days how the Christmas shopping is going?" Ron asked, "And how I've never given you a straight answer?"

"Sure," Hermione said, "I was rather curious about that."

"That's because I haven't really done much Christmas shopping," Ron said, "Other than getting stuff for you."

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"A few days ago," Ron said, "I was talking to Harry about what I should do for Christmas gifts, and he said something to me that I couldn't help but agree with."

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"He told me," Ron said, "that you and I shouldn't spend too much money on Christmas gifts for our family this year, because we should save the money for stuff for our baby."

Hermione started to reply, but Ron put a finger to her lips.

"Let me finish," Ron said. "So I decided that instead of going out and buying Christmas gifts for the family, our gifts would be... well... all of this."

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron softly on the lips.

"I love that you did this, Ron," she said, "It's brilliant. But -"

"But what?" Ron asked.

"The least you could have done was let me help you," Hermione said.

"No," Ron said, "I wasn't going to wake you up early. You need your sleep. It's going to be a long day today."

Ron walked over to the stove.

"Oh, speaking of that," he said, "your father called. He and your Mum will be over here around noon to pick us up. Which is okay, since my Mum said the Christmas party won't be starting until around five tonight."

"Wait... my Dad called?" Hermione asked, "As in... you used the phone?"

"Don't act so surprised, Hermione," Ron said, laughing, "I'm very used to using the phone now."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"What?" Ron said.

"Oh, nothing," Hermione said.

"Oh, come on," Ron said, "Tell me."

"Well, it is just you!" Hermione said, grinning. "You've always been a kid at heart. I'm so used to you still acting like that rowdy teenager I grew up with at Hogwarts. You're usually only this serious during your Auror duties. And now look at you. Getting up before dawn, and... well, everything!"

"Well, I guess being a father does that to a bloke," Ron said.

"I guess so," Hermione said.

"I'll make you some breakfast," Ron said, "Sit down and take a load off."

"A load?" Hermione asked, sitting down on one of the chairs at the small table. "That better not be a fat joke, Ronald."

"Of course not, sweetheart," Ron said, "I know how you are on that subject."

"That's what I thought," Hermione said.

"But I am happy to see you walking around," Ron said, "and not complaining about it. I guess my potion worked?"

"It worked brilliantly," Hermione said, "Thank you."

"I'm glad," Ron said, "Though... I could still carry you if you want me to."

"Absolutely not!" Hermione said.

"Probably best," Ron said, grinning mischievously. "Wouldn't want to hurt myself trying to lift you up."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, picked up a cookie and threw it at Ron. Ron just laughed out loud.

-  
>It was almost four in the afternoon, when Ron, Hermione and her parents arrived at the Burrow. A number of their extended family, and a few friends were already there. Hermione immediately excused herself and headed off toward the bathroom to relieve herself. The only problem was it was already occupied. Ginny was in there, and she looked rather upset.<p>

"Ginny?" Hermione asked, as she walked in, "Are you okay?"

"Hi, Hermione," Ginny said, looking up at her "Merry Christmas. Yeah, I'm okay. Do you need to use the restroom?"

Hermione nodded. Ginny stood up from the toilet and pulled up her jeans. Hermione then walked over to the toilet and pulled down her pants and sat down. As Ginny was headed for the door, Hermione saw a tear fall down her cheek.

"Hey," Hermione said, "You're crying. What's wrong?"

Ginny sighed and shook her head

"Ginny," Hermione said, "Tell me."

Ginny walked toward the door, and Hermione thought she was going to leave, but all she did was close the door.

"If I tell you," Ginny said, turning back toward Hermione, "You can't tell anyone. Not even Harry."

"Are you pregnant again?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ginny said, sniffling and shaking her head, "But... for the past few days, I thought I was. I kept throwing up and getting chills. And all week I really thought I was pregnant, you know. I hoped that was what was going on. And then just now – well –"

Ginny walked over to the waste basket and showed it to Hermione. Hermione saw the rolled up pad in there.

"You had your period," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, scoffing, "I guess I was just sick because of the weather."

"Are you and Harry trying to have another baby?" Hermione asked.

"Er... that is where it gets difficult, Hermione," Ginny said. "There is a reason I didn't want you to tell Harry."

"What's going on, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Last month," Ginny said. "I brought up the subject to Harry of having another baby. He said he wanted another one, but... he also said he wanted to think about it more. Then a couple weeks went by where he didn't even bring the subject up. Then, two weeks ago, it was, sort of, brought up again. At one point he said he wanted another child, and then he said we could wait for a while. Well... after that discussion, I secretly stopped using the Contraceptive Draught."

"Without telling Harry?" Hermione asked.

"That's what a secret means, Hermione," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione said, shaking her head, "It is something you should tell Harry."

"Well, it looks like it doesn't matter at the moment, does it?" Ginny asked, "I had my period. I'm not pregnant."

"Yeah, today, you did," Hermione said, "But... my last period was apparently in the middle of July, and then two weeks later, I got pregnant. Of course I didn't know that for another month and a half. I didn't even realize I had missed my period, the month before I found out, as well. What I'm trying to say is... today you had your period, but that still doesn't mean you're not going to end up pregnant any time soon because of it... especially, if you stay off the Contraceptive Draught. You need to talk to Harry about it. Because sooner or later... there may come a time where he's going to realize you were off of it anyway."

Ginny pouted.

"I'm happy you want another child, Ginny," Hermione said, "But don't you think Harry should know that too?"

"I know," Ginny said, "But it is just hard to tell him. It kills me every time I think I'm doing something that makes him upset."

"He needs to know," Hermione said, "If you don't tell him, I'll -"

"What?" Ginny asked, "You'll go behind my back and tell him?"

"No," Hermione said, "I'd never do that. But I'd push you in the right direction. And you know from experience you don't mess with a pregnant woman."

Ginny grinned and chuckled.

"Okay," Hermione said, standing up and pulling up her pants, "I'm done here. How about we go find Harry together?"

Ginny nodded. It didn't take long to find Harry. As soon as they walked out of the bathroom, they saw Harry and Ron walking up the stairs toward them. Harry was carrying James in his arms, and had the diaper bag around his shoulder.

"There you are," Ron said.

"James needs changing," Harry said to Ginny, "But I can do it."

"Actually, Harry," Ginny said, "Maybe Hermione and Ron can do it. I need to talk to you about something."

"We can do that," Hermione said, "Right, Ron?"

"I do need some practice changing a baby," Ron said.

Harry gently handed James over to Hermione. James immediately started crying.

"Ohh, someone's cranky," Hermione said, chuckling softly, as she cuddled James against her.

"He's okay," Harry said, "He's been doing that lately whenever we let someone else hold him."

"He doesn't like to be away from Harry right now," Ginny said, "There are moments where he doesn't even let me hold him."

Harry leaned toward James and kissed him softly on the head,

"You'll be fine," he said to his son, softly, "We'll be right here. I promise."

It took a few moments, but James quieted down.

"Okay," Ginny said, "I think you can go change him."

Ron took the diaper bag, and Hermione followed him into Ginny's bedroom.

-  
><strong>(Ginny's PoV – December 25th, 2005)<strong>

As the door to the room across the hallway shut, Harry looked at Ginny.

"Okay," Harry said, "I'm guessing this is pretty serious if you're letting someone else change James."

Ginny sighed and sat down on one of the stairs. She patted the spot next to her, and Harry sat down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"A few minutes ago," Ginny said, "I discovered I had my period today."

"Okay," Harry said, "And?"

"Well," Ginny said, sighing, "To be honest, I'm kind of upset about that."

"I thought you'd be used to that by now, Ginny," Harry said, chuckling.

"Harry, me being upset is not because of a symptom of my period," Ginny said, "I'm upset because I had it."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"I've been sick this past week, Harry," Ginny said, "Just a bit of a stomach flu I guess."

"Where was I during all of this?" Harry asked, "I could have taken care of you."

"I didn't want you to see it," Ginny said.

"Why?" Harry asked.

Ginny sighed and closed her eyes.

"Because I thought there was a reason I kept having to throw up," she said.

Ginny opened her eyes, and saw Harry's own eyes staring into hers.

"Until a few minutes ago," Ginny said, then inhaled deeply and exhaled, "I thought I might have been pregnant again."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"But you're on the Contraceptive Draught," he said, "It wouldn't happen then, Ginny."

Ginny shook her head.

"I haven't been taking it for about two weeks now," she said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I want to get pregnant again, Harry," Ginny said, "I want another baby."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked.

"I tried to tell you," Ginny said, "But you keep saying you want to wait."

"What?" Harry said. "Oh. Ginny, I don't think you understood what I meant."

"What's to understand, Harry?" Ginny asked, "I distinctly remember you saying you wanted to wait!"

"Ginny, I only said that," Harry said, "because I thought that is what you wanted."

"What?" Ginny said, "You thought –?"

"Every day, in the early hours of the morning, when you think I'm sleeping," Harry said, "I see you in James' room trying to get him to go back to sleep."

"Harry, you shouldn't do that," Ginny said. "How many times have I told you that you need your sleep? Especially because of your job."

"That's not the point right now, Ginny," Harry said.

"Then what is?" Ginny asked.

"There are times when I've just stood there in the shadows," Harry said, "watching you sitting in that old rocking chair of your Mum's, while you try to get James to go back to sleep. I just stand there and think. Lately, only one thought goes through my head during those moments. And that is how can I get up the courage to start that conversation with you about wanting to give James a brother or a sister. But every night I stopped myself, because you always look so tired there trying to get James to go back to sleep. I didn't think you were ready to go through that again."

"Harry, you shouldn't think that," Ginny said. "If I didn't think I was ready for another child, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Well, I know that now," Harry said.

"So...what... you do want another child?" Ginny asked.

"Of course I do," Harry said, "I love James, and I'd love to have more just like him."

Ginny sighed and shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Ginny said, "For days now I feared having this conversation with you. I thought you'd be mad at me if I told you I wanted another child."

"You could tell me you wanted six more children," Harry said, "And I wouldn't be mad at you, because it would be what you want."

"Well... maybe not six more children," Ginny said.

Harry chuckled. He put his arms around Ginny and kissed her softly on the forehead. Ginny smiled and moved her head up toward his lips and kissed him.

"Mmm, I think we better go see how the future parents are handling our child," Harry said.

"I think that is a good idea," Ginny said.

Ginny stood up with Harry, and they walked into her old room.

"Good timing!" Ron said, "We're almost finished."

"Not exactly," Hermione said, "Still have to put the nappy on."

"Oh, I can do that," Ginny said.

She walked over to James, and took a diaper from the bag. She started to put the diaper on him, but James became cranky.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ginny cooed to James, "I forgot. Harry, I think he wants you to do it."

"Of course he does," Harry said, chuckling as he walked across the room.

Suddenly, behind them, the door to the bedroom opened. Mrs. Weasley stood there.

"There you are," she said, "Ron, your brothers need help with the tables."

"Can it wait?" Ron asked, "Harry and Ginny are teaching Hermione and I how to put a nappy on the baby."

"You have plenty of time to learn that, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Fine," Ron said, "I'll go."

He turned at Hermione.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Ron," Hermione said, "I'll be down shortly. Go and help them."

"All right," Ron said, "I'll be outside if you need me."

"I'm fine," Hermione said, "Go."

Ron nodded and followed his mother out of the room. Hermione walked over to Ginny.

"So?" she asked, "Did you talk to Harry about – you know –?"

"Yes," Ginny said.

"And?" Hermione asked.

Ginny smiled and looked at Harry, who was finishing up putting the diaper on James.

"Apparently he wants another baby just as much as I do," Ginny said, smiling.

"Oh, wonderful!" Hermione said, "See... I knew he'd be okay with it."

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"And... finished," Harry said, lifting up James and cuddling him, "Oh, Hermione. Want to see something funny? Watch this."

Ginny watched as Harry walked over to the mirror. She then grinned when she knew what was going on.

"Look," Harry said, to James, as he pointed at their reflections in the mirror, "Who is that?"

From the reflection, Ginny could see James grinning as he looked at himself in the mirror. James started to giggle and babble.

"Is he talking?" Hermione asked.

"Er... sort of," Ginny said, "He hasn't said any exact word. Mum says he might not for a month or two still."

"Any pool yet on what his first word will be?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, good idea," Harry said, "We should start one."

"We're not betting on what our baby does, Harry!" Ginny said.

"Oh, come on," Harry said, "It is good clean fun."

Ginny put her hands on her hips.

"Fine," Harry said, "No bets."

"Well, if you change your mind," Hermione said, "Let me know. Because I think I could win it."

"Why?" Harry asked, "What would you guess?"

"Well, considering how James is acting right now around you," Hermione said, grinning, "some variation of Daddy."

Ginny chuckled. Even though she didn't admit it, she had to agree with Hermione. There was no way to deny it. James was currently having a positive form of daddy issues.

**-  
>Hope you liked this chapter! Next chapter will be the Christmas Party. <strong>


	12. Boy Or Girl?

**Chapter 12  
>Boy Or Girl?<strong>

**Author's Note: I'm not sure how old Percy's children are, so it might not be canon how I handle that in this chapter.**

**Edit: Thanks to a review, I realized I accidentally gave Percy's wife the wrong name. Meant to be Audrey and not Lucy. I had done my research, and I guess the name Lucy stuck instead of Audrey. It is now fixed.**

**(Ron's PoV – December 25th, 2005)**

"So, Ron," George said, "Hermione force you to sleep on the couch yet?"

"Nope," Ron said, "Been pretty lucky in that area."

George looked rather impressed, and was about to speak up, when a sharp voice rang out behind him and Ron.

"George Weasley, pay attention to what you are doing!" Angelina scolded, "This end looks slanted."

"I've done this plenty of times, darling," George said, "I could do it in my sleep."

Ron, George, Bill, Charlie and Percy and their father were currently using magic to set up a large marquee a few yards away from the Burrow. Ron and George were on the end closest to the Burrow, while their father and brothers were on the other end. It had become an unofficial tradition, during the annual Weasley family Christmas party, to have the festivities under the marquee.

"I'd pay to see that," Angelina said. "Either way, you better hurry or else dinner will be ready before you get everything set up out here."

"Yes, ma'am," George said.

"I thought so," Angelina said, "Hi, Ron. Merry Christmas."

"You too, Angelina," Ron said.

"How's Hermione?" Angelina asked.

"Still pregnant," Ron said, reciting his favorite saying whenever someone asked him about his wife,

Angelina smiled and headed back toward the Burrow. Ron turned back around and waved his wand again. The marquee opened up and set gently down on the ground. Underneath it, the snow was already melting. Unlike the near-freezing weather outside, the air in the marquee was nice and toasty, which made it the perfect place for the large number of family members who usually showed up at the Weasley Christmas parties. Ron and the others proceeded to summon a number of tables and chairs, and they set up on their own underneath the marquee.

As Ron was unfolding a table cloth, Percy walked over to him and took the other end of the cloth and helped set it on the table.

"I realize I haven't had the pleasure of congratulating you and Hermione yet," Percy said, "I apologize about that. So congratulations, Ron."

"Thank you," Ron said, "How's your wife? I haven't seen her today."

"Actually she didn't come with me for the party," Percy said.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

Percy sighed and looked over his shoulder. Ron realized he was looking at their brothers and father.

"Let's just say," Percy said, turning back to Ron, "that Hermione isn't the only Weasley who is expecting a child."

"What?" Ron asked, "Audrey is –?"

"She just found out last week," Percy said, "You're the first person I've told. And to be honest, I'm not sure I even should have told you."

"Why?" Ron asked, "Everyone will be happy for you! I certainly am."

"Well," Percy said, "Actually it was Audrey who didn't want me to announce it. She's not handling this whole thing very well right now."

"Why?" Ron asked, "Did you two want children?"

"Well, yes," Percy said, "But it wasn't exactly planned. She's up for a promotion in her job, and now she thinks the pregnancy will ruin her chances. She's very ambitious with her career, just like I am. Right now, she's at home with own family celebrating Christmas. I assume she's probably trying to get the courage to tell them the news. I wanted to stay home with her, but she insisted I come here today and celebrate with the family."

"Well, tell Audrey I'm very happy for you two," Ron said.

"I will pass along the message," Percy said, "And I'd appreciate it if you let me tell the family in my own way."

"Hey, this is your announcement," Ron said, "I already did mine a few months ago."

"I know," Percy said, "I'm sorry I wasn't here that day, I would have told you the same thing I'm saying now. You're going to be a wonderful father, Ron."

"Thanks, Percy," Ron said.

Percy nodded and Ron watched his brother walk out of the marquee. He never had too many things in common with Percy, outside of being family, but now Ron felt closer to his brother than he had done so in many years.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – December 25th, 2005)<strong>

"Oh, there you are, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, as Hermione walked down the stairs, and into the living room. "Do you need anything? I fixed a pot of hot cocoa. Always helps with pregnancies, cocoa does."

"I'm fine right now, Molly," Hermione said, "But thank you."

Mrs. Weasley smiled and walked back toward the kitchen. Hermione walked into the living room. On the other side of the room, Victoire was sitting near the Christmas tree, and was looking very interested in the packages under the tree.

"Victoire," Hermione said, as she took a seat on the couch, "I don't think your Grandma or Mummy would be too happy if she saw you taking a peek at the presents."

Victoire blushed and stepped away from the tree.

"Come and sit with your Auntie," Hermione said, patting the cushion next to her.

Hermione sat back, making herself comfortable, while Victoire sat down with her. Victoire looked down at Hermione's tummy.

"Can you feel the baby inside you?" Victoire asked.

"Sometimes," Hermione said, "I think it's asleep right now though."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Victoire asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, "I'm going to find that out tomorrow."

"What do you think it is?" Victoire asked.

"Mmm, I don't know," Hermione said, "What do you think?"

"Mmm... a girl!" Victoire said, grinning..

"You think so?" Hermione asked.

Victoire nodded.

"Mmm... don't tell your Uncle Ron," Hermione said, "But I kind of think you're right."

"What does Uncle Ron think?" Victoire asked.

"He hasn't told me yet," Hermione said.

"Bet he thinks it is a boy," Victoire said.

"It could be a boy," Hermione said.

Victoire shook her head.

"Boys are icky," she said.

"They are?" Hermione asked.

Victoire nodded.

"But what about Louis and your cousins?" Hermione said.

"They're okay," Victoire said, "Not like other boys."

Across the room, Teddy ran up the stairwell and Harry was soon following behind him. Hermione grinned and looked at Victoire.

"And what about Teddy?" she asked.

Victoire scrunched her nose and shook her head

"Icky?" Hermione asked.

Victoire nodded again.

"Can I go play in the snow?" Victoire asked.

"I think you better ask your Mummy that," Hermione said.

Victoire nodded and stood up, then ran off out of the room. Hermione smiled when she saw Ron walk into the room. He smiled back and sat down on the couch next to her, then kissed her softly on the lips.

"Mmm, I missed you," Hermione said, putting her head on Ron's shoulder.

"I figured that much," Ron said, "Can I give you your present before we eat?"

"You don't want to wait?" Hermione asked.

Ron shook his head. Hermione smiled. Ron lifted up his wand, and a small package floated toward him. He gave it to Hermione. She opened it and found a small white box, which she also opened. Inside was a gold and silver necklace."

"Oh, I love it, Ron," Hermione said, picking up the necklace, "Can you put it on me?"

Ron nodded and Hermione leaned forward. Ron put the necklace on her, and Hermione smiled as she looked at it.

"I also got you this," Ron said, reaching into his pocket.

Ron opened his hand, and Hermione saw two small silver charms. Each was a symbol for a boy and a girl.

"For your bracelet," Ron said, "But I'll keep them until tomorrow when we have found out what the baby is going to be."

"Aww, I love that," Hermione said.

She leaned toward Ron and kissed him softly on the lips. She put her head on Ron's shoulder, and Ron put a hand on Hermione's stomach, massaging it gently. Suddenly, Hermione felt a nudge against her stomach.

"Whoa!" Ron said, moving his hand away.

"What?" Hermione asked.

Hermione looked up at Ron, then down to his hand. She suddenly realized what was going on."

"Wait," Hermione said, "Did you –?"

Ron put a finger to his lips, and put his other hand back on Hermione's stomach. Hermione felt another nudge against her stomach. Hermione looked up to Ron to ask him if he had felt that, but she realized she didn't have to. The tears in Ron's eyes had already given her the answer.

"Blimey," Ron breathed.

"Brilliant, huh?" Hermione asked.

"Absolutely incredible," Ron said, "Definitely one of the best things I've ever felt."

"Now you know how I feel every time it happens," Hermione said.

"That's what you've been feeling for the past couple of weeks?" Ron asked.

"That and more," Hermione said, nodding.

"He's strong," Ron said.

"He?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "A kick like that has got to come from a boy."

"Are you saying girls aren't strong?" Hermione asked.

"No, of course not," Ron said, "I'm just saying that – well, I don't know what I'm saying."

Hermione giggled and shook her head.

"Why?" Ron asked, "Do you think it is a girl?"

Hermione nodded slowly.

"Oh," Ron said.

"You want it to be a boy, don't you?" Hermione asked.

"I guess," Ron said, "Yeah."

"And if it is a girl?" Hermione asked.

"I'll love it just the same," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron again. But their kiss was interrupted again, this time by a loud gasping sound coming from the kitchen. Hermione looked up just in time to see Mrs. Weasley hugging Percy.

"Guess Percy got the courage to tell Mum," Ron said, grinning.

"To tell her what?" Hermione said.

"You and Audrey have something in common, Hermione," Ron said.

"What do you – wait, you mean – Audrey's pregnant?" Hermione asked.

"They just found out last week," Ron said.

"I guess I should go talk to her," Hermione said.

"Er... actually, she's not here," Ron said.

Hermione raised her eyebrows, and Ron explained the situation.

"Oh," Hermione said, "Wow... so she's not happy at the moment?"

"I don't know," Ron said, shrugging, "I guess that's what Percy thinks anyway."

"Poor Percy," Hermione said, looking up at her brother-in-law and frowning.

Percy caught Hermione's eye and walked over toward them.

"Are you okay, Percy?" Hermione asked, "Ron told me the news."

"I will be," Percy said.

"Can I do anything?" Hermione asked, "I could write Audrey a letter for you to give her. I am the head of my department at the Ministry, so I know what she's going through. I bet I could convince her she can still work while she's pregnant. At least for a while."

"Thanks, Hermione," Percy said, "But I can handle it. Congratulations by the way. When's the due date?"

"Sometime in May," Hermione said.

"I'll adjust my calender," Percy said, "Would hate to miss the arrival of a new family member."

Hermione grinned and Percy walked off.

"Sometime in May," Ron echoed, "Blimey... doesn't seem so far away."

"Just about halfway there," Hermione said, "Tomorrow I'll be starting my twentieth week,"

Hermione felt another nudge against her stomach, and put Ron's hand on it.

"Quite active right now, eh?" Ron asked.

"Probably hungry," Hermione said.

"I can get you something to eat," Ron said.

Hermione was about to say she could wait, but Mrs. Weasley announced that dinner was ready. Ron helped Hermione up and they joined the rest of their family out under the marquee.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – December 26th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 20 Weeks)<strong>

For the third time in two months, Hermione was sitting with Ron in a hospital room. Their mothers had accompanied them along for the appointment, and were currently waiting with abated breath outside the hospital room.

Hermione was already dressed in the gown when Dr. Sterling and the nurse, Judy, arrived. In tow was the ultrasound machine with the large television on top of it.

"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Dr. Sterling said, "I do hope your Christmas was well."

"Very well, thank you," Hermione said.

"I know you've been waiting for this day for quite a while," Dr. Sterling, "And I promise you only have to wait a few more minutes. While Judy sets the machine up, I will run through the normal routine."

Dr. Sterling asked a number of questions about Hermione's health.

"And finally," Dr. Sterling said, "Have you been able to feel your baby kick or move?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "For a couple of weeks now."

"Wonderful," Dr. Sterling said, "I assure you that is very normal. It usually happens when your baby moves around in the womb, or stretches or something. As your pregnancy goes on, those will become stronger. I can sense the question on your lips, Ron, and no,it won't seriously hurt Hermione or your baby. You might feel a little uncomfortable sometimes, Hermione, when the baby becomes stronger and starts to move a bit more often. But I assure you it is normal and nothing to worry about. Usually, I suggest a good massage on the stomach to help you relax if you feel a little discomfort."

"Ron's rather good at massages," Hermione said.

Ron chuckled.

"How about you, Ron?" Dr. Sterling said, "Have you been able to feel the baby's kicks or movement when you put your hand on Hermione's stomach."

"Felt it for the first time last night," Ron said.

"Wonderful!" Dr. Sterling said, "That must have been quite the Christmas gift for you,"

"Oh, yeah," Ron said, grinning, "Definitely."

"Don't be afraid if you can't feel it and Hermione can," Dr. Sterling said, "That just means that the baby isn't trying to move too much. Also, Hermione, do not worry if, after a while, you can't feel the baby's movement for days on end. That usually just means your baby has become very comfortable in whatever position it finds itself in. I assure you it happens all the time. I've had quite a few mothers-to-be ask me about that."

Hermione nodded.

"Okay," Judy said, "I think the machine is ready now."

Dr. Sterling backed away. Usually he left during this procedure, but Hermione knew he was just as curious as to see the gender of the baby as she and Ron were.

"I must ask you this," Judy said, "even though I think I know the answer. The two of you are okay with this procedure. You want to find out the gender of your baby, is this correct? I only ask because some mothers-to-be feel guilty after they find out."

Hermione looked up at Ron, and he raised his eyebrows at her in question. Hermione smiled and nodded at him and then Judy.

"We're ready," Hermione said.

"Okay," Judy said, "Then how about we begin?"

Hermione laid down and pulled up her gown to reveal her belly. It had grown quite a bit since her previous check-up, and when Hermione had a shirt on, it looked as if she was hiding a cantaloupe beneath it. Judy pulled the machine forward and put some gel on the end of the long extension tool. She then moved the end of the machine over Hermione's belly and the television started to focus in on a picture.

"This will take a bit longer than last time," Judy said. "Completely normal. I have to move it around to get a good look."

Judy started moving the machine slowly around on Hermione's belly. Ron walked closer to Hermione, and Hermione took his hand. She squeezed it softly, and Ron smiled.

"You ready for this?" Hermione asked him.

"Yeah," Ron said,nodding.

Hermione turned back to the nurse.

"Your baby is growing quite well, Hermione," Judy said, "Very healthy."

Hermione smiled as she stared at the television.

"Aha," Judy said, "I know you told Dr. Sterling that you feel your baby quite a bit, is that right? Quite a bit of nudging?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

"It is very easy to see why," Judy said, "Your baby's feet are right up against the edge of the womb, closer to the front of your stomach, right near where your belly-button is, I'd say. So those nudges you feel are really your baby kicking you a bit."

"Quite the kicker," Hermione said.

"Could be looking at a future football player," Dr. Sterling said, across the room.

"Must be a boy then," Ron said.

"Well – er – actually," Judy said, raising her eyebrows.

"What?" Hermione asked, raising her head and looking at the screen.

Judy smiled and Hermione took a sharp intake of breath.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Judy said, "You are going to be the proud parents of... a little girl."

-  
><strong>Decided to make you wait for what happens next! Hope you liked this chapter! <strong>


	13. What's In A Name?

**Chapter 13  
>What's In A Name?<strong>

**(Hermione's PoV – December 26th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 20 Weeks)**

It took a split-second for the information to sink before Hermione realized what she heard. She exhaled, letting out a gust of breath, and felt a flood of tears escaping from her eyes. A girl? She was going to be the mother of a little girl!

"This is quite big moment for the both of you," Judy said, moving the machine away from Hermione, "So we'll just leave you two alone. Would you like more pictures of your baby girl?"

"Ye-yeah," Ron said, "Sure, that – that would be brilliant. A girl!"

Hermione looked at Ron, who looked breathless and had a few tears in his eyes.

"They'll be waiting for you shortly," Judy said, standing up, "Congratulations again."

As soon as Judy and Dr. Sterling left the room, Ron learned toward Hermione and kissed her on the lips. She could feel his tears against her skin.

"I'm going to go get our mothers," Ron said.

Ron started walking toward the door.

"Er... Ron?" Hermione asked.

"What?" Ron said, turning back around hastily, "Do you need anything? Are you hungry? I could get you a candy bar or something?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said, "I just – I should get dressed first, don't you think?"

"Oh, yeah," Ron said, "I guess that would be a good idea, huh?"

Hermione nodded. Ron walked back over to her.

"Sorry," he said, handing Hermione her clothes, "Didn't think about that. Actually, to be honest, can't really think at all. My brain is still trying to –"

He shook his head and chuckled.

"Blimey – a girl," he said. "She did say that? She said we're having a girl, right?

"Yeah, Ron," Hermione said, as she started to take off her gown, "That's what she said."

Ron leaned in and hugged Hermione again.

"You're happy, right?" Hermione said, then backed away and looked up at him, "I know how much you wanted a boy and -"

"Hermione, I'm the happiest bloke in the world right now," Ron said, "I'm going to be the father of a beautiful little girl. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ron," Hermione said, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I'm more than fine."

"Okay," Ron said, "Get dressed. I'll be back in just a couple of minutes."

Ron kissed Hermione again and walked toward the door. Hermione quickly dressed, and she was completely clothed by the time Ron returned with her mother and Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley was the first to reach her, and Hermione saw tears in her eyes.

"Ron told us," Mrs. Weasley said, "Oh, you must be so delighted!"

"I am," Hermione said.

"Another grand-daughter!" Mrs. Weasley said, "Oh, I'm so happy."

She backed away, and Hermione's mother hugged Hermione. Over her mother's shoulder, Hermione saw Mrs. Weasley hugging Ron.

"Oh, my baby boy having a baby girl!" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yeah, Mum," Ron said, "Thanks."

"Oh, I need to go and find a safe place to apparate," Mrs. Weasley said, "I must get home. I have to tell Arthur and Bill and Fleur and... oh, I have so many letters to write!"

"Mum, relax," Ron said, "You're going to splinch yourself if you apparate. Calm down."

"I'll be fine," Mrs. Weasley said, "Oh, a girl! I'm so happy for you."

Hermione smiled at Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley walked out of the room in a hurry.

"Oh, Hermione," Helen said, "I-I don't know what to say. My little girl is having a little girl of her own."

Hermione nodded and felt more tears in her eyes. Across the room, Hermione could see more tears in Ron's eyes. He caught her looking at him, and Hermione grinned when Ron hastily wiped away his tears.

-  
>A half an hour later, Hermione and Ron were back inside their house. Helen had left a couple minutes before to bring the news to Hermione's father. After a quick trip to the bathroom, Hermione found Ron sitting on one of the chairs. He was staring at the ultrasound photograph. He looked up briefly at Hermione and smiled, and she returned the smile as she made herself comfortable on the couch. Ron stood up and walked over to her then kneeled next to her so she could see the photo.<p>

"The little note there says our baby is about six inches long at the moment," Ron said, "How long are they usually at birth? Girls I mean?"

"I was 20 inches when I was born," Hermione said.

"Quite a ways to go then," Ron said.

"She's almost a third of what she'll be if she's the normal size," Hermione said.

"Oh," Ron said, "A third? You mean -"

"She's going to get quite a bit larger before she's born, yes," Hermione said, "Which means I'm going to get quite larger too before she's born."

"Larger," Ron said, "You mean –?"

"I mean fat, Ronald," Hermione said, "Yes."

"I'll keep the fat jokes to a minimum then," Ron said.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. Ron grinned and leaned toward her and kissed her. He backed up and stroked her hair with his fingers.

"You need a hair cut, Hermione," Ron said, grinning, "It's growing out pretty fast."

"So I've noticed," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "About two inches in the past week. The only thing growing faster than my hair is my belly. I have my hormones to thank for first and our daughter to thank for the last."

"Our daughter," Ron said, "Do you know how strange that is for me to say?"

"Well, what else do you want to call her?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Well," Hermione said, "Now that we know our baby is a girl, we're going to have to think of a name for her before too long."

"Oh, bloody hell, I hadn't thought about that," Ron said.

"It's okay, Ron," Hermione said, "We don't have to think of a name right this minute."

"Good," Ron said, "Because between you and me, I have no clue what I want her name to be."

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Hermione said, "Neither do I."

"That makes me feel a little bit better," Ron said.

Hermione smiled.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ron said.

He reached into the pocket of his jeans and took out the small silver charm that was the symbol of a girl. Hermione lifted up her arm that had her bracelet, and Ron fastened the charm to it. Hermione smiled as she looked at it.

"What should we do with the other one?" Ron asked nodding to the small symbol of a boy.

"Keep it," Hermione said.

"You mean you want to wear it as well?" Ron asked. "That kind of moots the point of the whole thing, you know."

"No," Hermione said, "I mean... we'll keep it for the future."

"The future?" Ron asked.

"You know," Ron said, "Just in case we have a boy."

Ron's eyes widened.

"You look rather surprised at that, Ron," Hermione said, chuckling.

"I am kind of surprised, Hermione," Ron said. "You're halfway through this pregnancy, and you're already thinking of having another child?"

"When you say it like that," Hermione said, "it does sound completely mental, huh?"

"Not completely mental," Ron said, grinning, "Just a little bit."

Hermione laughed.

"Let's get you through this one first, okay?" Ron asked.

"Deal," Hermione said.

Ron grinned and leaned into Hermione and kissed her again.

**(Ron's PoV – December 31st, 2005)**

"There!" Ron said, "How does that look?"

"Hmm?" Hermione asked.

"The telly, Hermione," Ron said, "How does it look?"

Over the past few days, Hermione had fallen asleep on the couch every night while watching the television, and every night Ron had to wake her up, just so she could go to bed. Three out of the four nights, Hermione had become rather cross with Ron because he had woken her up. Each time, he had tried to explain that she needed to sleep in bed to be the most comfortable, and each time she would still complain.

So earlier that day, Ron had bought another television and had hooked it up in their bedroom. This meant that Hermione could watch it at night and Ron wouldn't have to worry about waking her up when she drifted off to sleep.

Hermione said something, but her mouth was full of hamburger-and-cheese dip that Ron had made for them, and all that came out was mumbling. Ron thought that was extremely adorable.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that, love," he said, grinning.

Hermione rolled her eyes and swallowed her mouthful of food.

"I said it looks wonderful," she said, "Thank you, Ron."

"That's what I thought," Ron said, "You're welcome."

Ron turned the channels, and found one where a musician was singing in front of a large group of people. A clock on the bottom right corner was counting down to something that would happen in a little over four hours.

"What's happening in four hours and seven – er – six minutes?" Ron asked, as he laid down on the bed next to Hermione.

"That is when the New Year arrives," Hermione said.

"Why is there a countdown for it?" Ron asked.

"It's a Muggle tradition, Ron," Hermione said, "People celebrate the start of the new year."

"Anything special?" Ron asked, "Other than Muggles with really bad hair-cuts singing on the telly?"

"Mmm, nope," Hermione said, though she had a rather mischievous grin on her face.

"Liar," Ron said, chuckling.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She leaned over to Ron and kissed her softly on the lips then backed up.

"That's not going to make me any less curious, Hermione," Ron said.

"I just showed you what happens, silly," Hermione said.

"All you did was kiss me," Ron said, "Oh – you mean – that's what it is? A kiss?"

"Mmhmm," Hermione said.

"Okay, I like that part," Ron said.

"Of course you do," Hermione said, grinning.

"What else?" Ron asked, "Gifts... perhaps?"

"No, not usually," Hermione said, "

"Oh," Ron said, "Then I guess I don't need to give you the other thing I bought for you... besides the telly, I mean."

"Give it, Ron," Hermione said.

"You have to ask nicely first," Ron said.

Hermione smacked Ron on the shoulder. Ron just chuckled and reached into the drawer in his bedside table and pulled out a book, then handed it to Hermione. The title of the book read: "What's In A Name?"

"You bought us a book of baby names?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I know you said we didn't have to worry about naming our daughter yet, but – I thought – you don't like it?"

"Well," Hermione said, "I didn't know you were this eager to name our baby."

"Well, I thought it'd be better than calling our baby a 'her' or 'she'," Ron said, "And I know you like to talk to her, so I thought you'd want to call her by her actual name when you did. I don't know... I mean – if you don't want to name our baby yet, we don't have -"

Before Ron could finish his sentence, Hermione leaned over to Ron and kissed him softly on the lips. Ron chuckled against her lips and returned the kiss.

"I love it, Ron," Hermione said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ron said.

Ron started in on his hamburger-and-cheese dip while Hermione opened up the book.

"This is brilliant," Hermione said, "It has hundreds of names for us to look through."

"Hundreds?" Ron echoed, "Good thing we have a while to choose."

Hermione grinned.

"Oooh," she gasped, "And with each name, it gives us a bit of history with it... like what the name means. Hmm... let's see... "

Hermione turned some pages and looked through one of them.

"My name's not in here," she said, frowning, "My Mum did say it was kind of a rare name, though."

"What about mine?" Ron asked.

"I'm sure I can find yours," Hermione said, "Let's see..."

She turned a lot of pages until she was over a two-thirds way through the book.

"Ah," Hermione said, "Here we go. Ron... or Ronald... it means... having the power of the gods or the power to rule."

She snickered.

"What?" Ron asked, "Are you saying I'm not the type to be a ruler?"

"That's now what I'm laughing about," Hermione said, "I'm thinking back to that bloody song the Slytherins made up for you when you started to play Quidditch."

"What of it?" Ron asked.

"They kept calling you their king," Hermione said, "That is basically what this is saying your name means."

"The king is the target in a game of chess," Ron said, "I don't like being a target."

"What about being my king?" Hermione asked.

Ron grinned and leaned toward Hermione and kissed her.

"You're not supposed to do that until midnight, you know," Hermione said, her voice muffled against Ron's lips.

"You haven't stayed up until midnight in months, Hermione," Ron said, chuckling.

"Mmm, good point," Hermione said.

"That's what I thought," Ron said, as he kissed Hermione's chin.

"What about naming our baby, Ron," Hermione said.

"We have all the time in the world for that," Ron said.

"Twenty weeks," Hermione said.

"Long enough," Ron said.

"You're not going to let me win tonight, are you?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Ron said.

"Fine," Hermione said, "I'll let you win tonight. It can be my New Year's gift to you."

Ron grinned and moved their plates of cheese dip off of the bed. Hermione pulled Ron back toward her, and he kissed her once again.

The book of baby names lay temporarily forgotten on the bedside table.


	14. Meditation and Consideration

**Chapter 14  
>Meditation and Consideration <strong>

**Author's Note: I know I've been quickly updating a lot for this story so far, but I think now I'll probably only get one chapter out a day, if that. Maybe more than one if I'm lucky. Not sure. We'll see. Thanks for all the reviews so far, though. Means a lot to me! So thanks!**

**(Hermione's PoV – January 20th****th****, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 23 Weeks)**

Hermione and Ron sat on the Knight Bus, as it headed through London, toward the Ministry of Magic. After a month of resting and working at home, Hermione had finally convinced Ron, and herself, that she was ready for something to break the monotonous routine of spending every day at home.

She had only been out of the house a handful of times since the new year had started. Winter had become rather harsh over the past month, and it wasn't common for a new powdering of snow to fall every few days or so, and it had made it rather treacherous for someone in her condition to do too much walking outside.

Though she hadn't done much walking anyway. There had been an unexpected side-effect in her pregnancy, and she was sure that no doctor could ever warn her of this one. It seemed her body had become rather immune to the Anti-swelling potion Ron had concocted quite a few times over the past month. Between that, and her feet growing in size thanks to her hormones, the swelling in her feet had quite an impact on her sometimes. Thankfully, Ron had concocted a stronger Anti-swelling potion, and while it didn't work as powerful as the original one had, it still gave Hermione the freedom to walk around, when she had to, without too much pain.

"You're sure your okay with going back to work, Hermione?" Ron said, as the Knight Bus headed into the main part of London.

"I wouldn't be on this bus if I wasn't, Ron, would I?" Hermione asked.

"I know that," Ron said, "It's just -"

Ron frowned, and Hermione noticed he looked a little upset, even more upset than she was at the moment. Hermione took his hand and squeezed it softly.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked him.

"I'm just worried," Ron said, "You heard what Dr. Sterling said during the check-up yesterday. Our daughter is going to double in size inside you over the next month alone. Your back is already giving you problems. That's not very good for you to work with, Hermione."

"Ron, I've been used to the back problems for months now," Hermione said, "I'm perfectly fine to go into work. I need to do this, okay? I need a sense of normalcy in my life right now. I need to get back into a routine or I'm going to go mental."

"You're not going to go mental, Hermione," Ron said.

"I might!" Hermione said.

Ron shook his head, but Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Look," he said. "I need to work. I've been cooped up in that house for the past month. And that is just going to happen again before too long, because I'm going to have to take a maternity leave sometime."

"The normal time to start is six-to-eight weeks before the due date," Ron said.

"I'm aware of that," Hermione said, "How did you know?"

"You're not the only one reading those books, you know?" Ron asked.

"Okay, so six to eight weeks before," Hermione said, "That would be sometime around your birthday. So... okay, here's the deal. How about I work until your birthday? And then my birthday present to you is that you won't have to worry about me going into work until sometime after our daughter is born."

"You'll work until then?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, "By then this... cantaloupe of a belly I own right now will probably turn into a melon. I doubt I'll even want my co-workers to see me like that."

Ron chuckled, but stopped when Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"Give me a couple months," Hermione said, "Or a month and a half or whatever. That will give me enough time to break this monotony I'm going through. By then I can find a temporary replacement as head of the office. After that, I'll focus on myself and our baby. If I'm bored of the monotony, I'll – I don't know, I'll do something. I'll decorate our daughter's room then."

"I was going to do that!" Ron moaned.

"Ron, it is going to be a little girl's room." Hermione said, "I know how your bedroom was at the Burrow. I'm not going to let you decorate our daughter's room look like that."

"Not even with some Chudley Cannon posters?" Ron asked, pouting.

Hermione grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Okay," she said, "Maybe one or two,"

"Fine," Ron said, "I won't even think about doing any decorating in her room. I'll let you do that."

"Good," Hermione said, "And also at that time, if we hadn't thought of a name for her yet, I'll focus on that as well. We can... put a list of names down and go from there."

"Oh, so you don't want to name our daughter after my Great Aunt?" Ron asked, "Because – you know – I was all up for that."

"Muriel?" Hermione scoffed, "Are you serious?"

"No, I'm joking!" Ron said, sighing exasperatedly, "Bloody hell, Hermione."

Hermione stared at Ron and he just grinned. She rolled her eyes.

"You need to work on your humor, Ron," she said, "You're getting rusty."

Ron just laughed out loud.

-  
>A couple hours later, Hermione was sitting at her desk in her office, going through some paper work, when she heard a knock on the door.<p>

"Come in," Hermione said.

The door opened, and Hermione's secretary, Delilah, walked in, though she wasn't alone. Astoria Malfoy followed her in, and she didn't look very happy.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Delilah said, "I know you are busy, but Mrs. Malfoy insisted that she come in and talk to you. She wouldn't take no for an answer."

"That's okay, Delilah," Hermione said, "I can talk to her."

Delilah nodded and left the office, shutting the door behind her. Astoria walked, or rather, wobbled over to the chair and sat down. Hermione noticed she had tears in her eyes. She had taken on quite a bit of weight since Hermione had seen her last. Her belly was somewhere around the size of a small watermelon. Hermione could see Astoria's belly-button poking out through the sweater.

"Astoria, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, walking over to the chair beside Astoria's and sat down.

"I walked out on Draco today," Astoria said, sniffling.

"What?" Hermione asked, "You mean you're leaving him?"

"I don't know if I am or not," Astoria said, "But I'm so mad at him right now. He still refuses to tell his parents that they are going to be grandparents by April. I thought he would have cheered up some, since -"

Hermione noticed a hint of a smile.

"Draco and I are having a little boy, Hermione," Astoria said.

"Well, congratulations," Hermione said, "You must be very happy."

"I am," Astoria said, nodding, "And I thought Draco was too. Well, he was really happy at first. He kept talking about how our son would be the heir to the Malfoy legacy. He'd be the one to keep it going."

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Hermione asked.

"Draco wants to call him Scorpius," Astoria said.

"Cute name," Hermione said.

Astoria scoffed.

"You don't like it?" Hermione asked.

"It's okay," Astoria said, "I should have known Draco wouldn't want a normal name for a child. His whole family has weird names."

Hermione chuckled. She had to agree with that one.

"I don't want to leave him, Hermione," Astoria said, "I love him. But this whole thing he has about his parents is driving me absolutely crazy. My hormones are going crazy again as it is already. You know those symptoms you had when you first became pregnant, Hermione? Nausea, frequent bathroom visits..."

Astoria suddenly belched.

"The gas?" Hermione suggested, snickering.

"Yeah," Astoria said, sighing, "They return... with a vengeance. Good idea of having a bathroom adjoining from your secretary's office. You're going to need it. I just had a visit before I came in here."

"Oh, wonderful," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "Just what I need."

"Yeah," Astoria said, "And between having to deal with that again, and Draco's bickering... though I will be honest... I do my fair share of bickering myself too. Just don't let Draco know I admit that. I love him, and he loves me. I know that. He loves this baby too. I see that. He's already planning on decorating the room. Good thing, too, because I have no idea how to decorate a boy's room. My son is the first boy in my family since my father was born. And even then he was the only boy in a family of girls. So I was shocked to learn I'm having a boy. Guess I have to thank Draco for that one."

"Ron and I are having a little girl," Hermione said.

"Oh, wonderful!" Astoria said, "You must be so happy. Have you picked out a name?"

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "We're still going through that."

"I'm sure it will be beautiful whatever it is," Astoria said, "I'm sorry. I keep focusing on myself. That's so selfish of me. How are you by the way?"

"I'm great," Hermione said.

"Bet your back's not feeling too great," Astoria said, grinning.

"No, not really," Hermione said, chuckling, "Thankfully this seat is very comfortable. But I saw that you are walking okay... other than the wobble -"

"That comes with the belly," Astoria said. "You'll have that too before too long, but I bet Ron will find that very adorable. Actually, my back is great, but not without a bit of work."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Do you know what meditation is?" Astoria asked, "Or... er—what's that word... yoga?"

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"I thought so," Astoria said, "it is a common Muggle technique, and I know you are Muggle-born, so I thought you might. Anyway, just start doing some meditation and yoga practices, and after a while you'll find you are very relaxed. Your back will thank you for that. And it is something you and Ron can do together."

"Oh, does Draco join you?" Hermione asked.

"Are you kidding?" Astoria asked, "Definitely not. He thinks it is rubbish. If you want, I can teach you a bit of it."

"Now?" Hermione asked, "In the office?"

"Sure!" Astoria said, "You aren't busy, are you?"

"Well, I could use a break," Hermione said.

"Good," Astoria said, "And what better way, then to relax?"

Astoria stood up and walked to the clearing in the room.

"Oh, wait," she said, turning and looking at Hermione, "I should ask.. How are you at sitting down on the floor? Can you stand up without help?"

"At the moment, yeah," Hermione said.

"Good, because you'll have to help me get back up," Astoria said, as she took a seat on the floor.

Hermione laughed. She then walked over to Astoria and joined her on the floor.

"It's good to start this early," Astoria said, "Because you're going to have to get used to the position your legs will be in. And don't worry about hurting the baby. It is very safe. Actually, it is also supposed to help you prepare for childbirth, because you know... this is how your legs will be. Oh, and depending on your sex-life right now, you actually might be used to it."

Hermione snickered.

"Okay," Astoria said, "just watch me and follow along."

Hermione watched Astoria as she put her legs out in a V-position in front of her.

"Right now, you might be able to cross your legs," Astoria said, "But in another month, when you are going through what I am currently going through, you'll find that won't be as easy."

Hermione mimicked Astoria's movements and put her legs in front of her.

"Close your eyes," Astoria said.

Hermione did so.

"Think of a moment in your life," Astoria said, "Where you were either very calm, or very happy, or something like that. It has to be a relaxing thought. Compare it to whenever you perform a Patronus Charm. Same thing."

"I was never good at the Patronus Charm," Hermione said.

"That's okay," Astoria said, "Just relax. If your mind is relaxed, your body will relax, and you'll feel a lot better. Remember to breathe too. Inhale and exhale. Don't breathe too deeply though. That just wears you out, and moots the whole point of this."

Hermione inhaled and exhaled as she tried to think of a calm and happy moment. She had quite a few of those over the years, and she had trouble just thinking of anything in particular. She inhaled and exhaled again, and her mind then went back to her and Ron's most recent anniversary...

_Flashback begins:_

_The month of May was just beginning, and the English countryside looked beautiful in the mid-Spring atmosphere._

_The arrival of Spring had been a bit of a baby boom for young couples in the Muggle and wizarding world alike, and along with Harry and Ginny, a small number of Hermione and Ron's former classmates had also had the joy of a new member to their families. Hiring of house-elves had been on the rise over the past few months, which meant that Hermione was working overtime to make sure that the house-elves would get their due credit._

_The start of May meant that Ron and Hermione would be celebrating their wedding anniversary, and on that particular day, Ron had made a few plans, though he had kept them a secret from Hermione._

_The first of Ron's plans went into place, and he had taken her, via Side-Along Apparation to the Burrow. Hermione had discovered that the first of Ron's plans for the day had to do with a nice romantic picnic and a swim at the lake near the Burrow. When they arrived at the Burrow, however, Hermione and Ron found that they weren't the only guests._

_Harry and Ginny had decided to let baby James spend the day with his grandparents. It had been two and a half months since James was born, and Harry and Ginny hadn't had a day to themselves since the birth of their son._

_After the swim, Hermione and Ron sat on the shore of the lake for a small picnic. Ron hadn't brought along too much food, because he had also planned on going out for a romantic dinner. _

_"It was nice seeing James again," Hermione said, finishing up the making of her sandwich._

_"Yeah," Ron said, "I'm not surprised he's here actually. Harry's been saying that he and Ginny needed a bit of a holiday. He said Ginny's been really tired lately, between getting up two or three times every night. And she's finally just getting back to work as well."_

_"I guess having a baby will do that to a person," Hermione said._

_"Do you think about that a lot?" Ron asked._

_"What?" Hermione replied._

_"Having a baby," Ron said._

_Hermione stared at Ron as she chewed a bite of her sandwich._

_"Sometimes," Hermione said. "Sure, I've found myself thinking of that. When Ginny was pregnant, I found myself dreaming of being in her position myself. Why? Have you?"_

_Ron shrugged and looked at his sandwich._

_"Ron," Hermione said, "What's wrong?"_

_"Today's our fifth anniversary, right?" Ron said, looking back at Hermione._

_"Yeah," Hermione said._

_"Well," Ron said, "When we first got married, did you ever think of where we'd be in five years?"_

_"What do you mean?" Hermione asked._

_"Did you ever ask yourself, in those first few weeks of our marriage," Ron said, "If we'd have a child... well, if we would have one before now?"_

_"Ron," Hermione said, "You know we've been so focused on our careers. You know how I am with the House-Elf stuff. I've been so dedicated with that."_

_"So is the answer no?" Ron asked._

_"I don't know what the answer is, to be honest," Hermione said._

_Ron sighed, and his eyes turned toward the lake._

_"Ron," Hermione said. "If you think we should start trying to have a baby, just tell me."_

_For a couple of minutes, all Ron did was look down at his sandwich. He didn't even take a bite of it.. It was quite an eerie sight for Hermione to witness._

_"I want us to try to have a baby, Hermione," Ron said, though he sounded frightened with every syllable that came out of his mouth._

_"I do too, Ron," Hermione said._

_Ron finally looked up at Hermione. Hermione smiled, and before she could say another word, Ron leaned over to her and kissed her._

_"Ron!" Hermione said, chuckling against his lips, "I don't mean I'm ready right this minute!"_

_"Oh?" Ron asked, before kissing Hermione again, "Because I am."_

_Hermione returned the kiss, then backed away a moment later._

_"I'm not even off the Contraceptive Draught yet," she said,_

_"Oh," Ron said, frowning, "Right... yeah. I forgot. How long will that take to wear off?"_

_"Probably a couple of days," Hermione said, "And even then, I might not get pregnant right away. Not that you_

_will be to blame for that. It's not guaranteed when I'll get pregnant, you know. May not even be for a while -"_

_Hermione stopped talking when Ron gently put a hand to her cheek. Hermione sighed, and put her hand on his and looked at him._

_"I'm okay with that, Hermione," Ron said._

_"You are?" Hermione asked, "Because you seem so eager -"_

_"I am eager," Ron said, grinning. "But at the moment, I'm quite content with the fact that we're talking about it. That's the first step, right?"_

_"Right," Hermione said, grinning._

_"Okay, then," Ron said._

_Hermione smiled. It was true that she had been thinking about having a child for a while now, but until that moment, she wasn't sure. Now after their her discussion with Ron, there by the lake, she was ready to try and become a mother._

_Flashback ends_

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at Astoria.

"Welcome back to the present," Astoria said, grinning.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Your eyes were closed for a good ten minutes," Astoria.

"Oh, my," Hermione said, "Really?"

"Yeah," Astoria said, "Must have been a good memory."

"I was thinking back to when Ron and I finally started talking about having a baby," Hermione said.

"That's a very good memory, Hermione," Astoria said, grinning, "I'm impressed that you started out with such a good one."

Hermione grinned.

"Now if you don't mind," Astoria said, "Could you help me stand up? I really need to use your restroom."

Hermione chuckled and stood up. She then helped Astoria get to her feet. Astoria headed for the door, then turned back to Hermione.

"Thanks for the talk, Hermione," she said, "I'm going to go back to Draco and talk to him. Hopefully we can work something out."

Hermione smiled. Astoria returned the smile and left the office. Hermione returned to her chair and sat down. She only realized then that her back wasn't hurting at all at the moment. Astoria's meditation techniques had done the trick. She decided it would become a part of her daily routine, and she was also sure that this part of that routine would never get boring after a while.


	15. Valentine's Day

**Chapter 15  
>Valentine's Day<strong>

**(Hermione's PoV – February 14th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 26 Weeks)**

"Ah, Hermione!" Tom said, "Long time, no see!"

"Good afternoon, Tom," Hermione said, "Nice to see you again."

"Hermione and I just returned from yet another appointment with the Muggle doctor," Ron said, "And I thought I'd treat her to a nice lunch for Valentine's Day."

With a bit of difficulty, even with a bit of help from Ron, Hermione sat down at one of the tables in the Leaky Cauldron. The tables were usually at a comfortable distance from the chairs, but Hermione found that her belly was only half-an-inch away from the table now.

"The doctor?" Tom asked, "I do hope nothing is wrong?"

"Just a routine check-up, Tom," Hermione said, "Nothing to worry about."

"How's the baby?" Tom asked, "I can see you're getting quite big."

It was true. Hermione's stomach was now roughly the size of a small watermelon.

"Only because the baby is getting big," Hermione said, "She's now a little over ten inches, and she won't be stopping any time soon."

"The doctor said if this keeps up," Ron said, "She'll be about twenty-one inches when she's born."

"She'll be bigger than I was at birth," Hermione said, "But the doctor said even though the baby is going to keep growing, that I will probably only put on a little bit more weight, and a couple more inches around my belly."

"Well, then," Tom said, "I might have to rearrange the tables or you won't be able to sit down here for a while!"

Hermione grinned.

"What'll it be for you two today?" Tom asked, "The usual?"

"Sure," Hermione said, "Make mine double though."

"Good appetite!" Tom said, chuckling, "You should come in here a lot more! I'll be back with that in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Tom," Hermione said.

Tom smiled and walked away from the table. Hermione opened up her purse and took out the ultrasound photograph that had just been taken that day. She smiled as she looked at it.

"It's kind of strange to see our baby's eyes open, if only just a little bit," Hermione said, as she looked at the photograph.

"I was so shocked when I saw that on the screen," Ron said, chuckling.

Hermione smiled. She lifted her glass of water to take a drink, and felt a nudge in her stomach.

"Oh," Hermione said, gently patting her stomach, "Somebody's excited."

"Bet she's hungry," Ron said.

"Well, maybe," Hermione said, "The doctor did say she's going to be doing that a bit more often now that her eyes are open."

"I'm sure it must be quite scary for her," Ron said, "It must be very dark in there."

Hermione grinned.

"Can't believe I'm almost into my third trimester," she said, "I can hardly keep track of those things right now. I've been so..."

She yawned and shook her head.

"Tired," Ron said, sighing audibly, "We can take our food to go if you want."

"I'm fine," Hermione said, "We haven't eaten at a restaurant in quite a while. It's a nice change."

"But you look exhausted," Ron said, "I can't count how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night to find you awake."

"I'm fine," Hermione said, again, "Any sleep that I miss, I'll be able to make up for starting in a couple of weeks. I've agreed to your demands, and I'm going to start my maternity leave the day before your birthday. But until then, I need to focus on finding a temporary replacement for my position, as well as getting as much work done as I can."

"Okay," Ron said, "I'm just worried about you is all. It's all I can think about sometimes and -"

Ron sighed and shook his head. Hermione reached across the table and took Ron's hand, stroking it softly with his fingers.

"Hey, I know you are worried about me," Hermione said. "And I thank you for worrying about me. But between that meditation we've been doing together, and the naps I take during my free time, I'm doing quite well right now."

"I do love when we do that meditation stuff," Ron said, "It actually makes up for the other intimate parts of our relationship we're missing."

"I don't remember saying I didn't want to put a stop to that," Hermione said.

"No, you didn't say it," Ron said, "But lately I've decided not to urge you to do anything like that. I'm afraid we'll be in the middle of it, and you'll drift off to sleep."

"You're looking at it the wrong way, Ron," Hermione said, "Didn't you ever think that might help me get some sleep?"

"Oh, thanks," Ron said, frowning, "You make it sound like I bore you to sleep when we do that."

"Of course not!" Hermione said, chuckling, "I only meant – well, it is a type of exercise, isn't it?"

"You could say that," Ron said, snickering.

"And exercise is supposed to make you sleepy," Hermione said, "So-"

"Oh," Ron said, "Okay, I see what you mean now."

"You think I get bored when we make love?" Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged.

"Well, I don't, Ronald," Hermione said, "Even if my tummy grows to the size of one of Hagrid's pumpkins, I'll still find it quite enjoyable."

Ron chuckled and his cheeks went rather pink.

-  
>A couple hours later, Hermione was in the middle of a late-afternoon nap, when she felt a nudge wake her up. At first she thought it was the baby, then she saw Ron standing over her.<p>

"Wh-what?" Hermione asked, yawning, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ron said, "Pig just returned with some owl post, and I thought you might like to read it. That is, unless you're still tired. You can go back to sleep, and I'll let you read it later. Or I could read it to you now."

Hermione looked down at Ron's hands, and saw that he was holding a piece of parchment.

"No, I-I'll read it," Hermione said, backing up into a sitting position, "Give it here."

Ron handed Hermione the piece of parchment, then laid down in bed beside her, as she unrolled it. She noticed Ginny's handwriting and started to read. Her eyes finally stopped on one particular word:

_Pregnant._

"Oh, my gosh!" Hermione gasped, "Ginny's –?"

"Yeah," Ron said, "She just found out today. We're the first she's told."

"She hasn't told Harry?" Hermione asked, "I thought she would have told him first!"

"I can imagine she was probably excited to tell somebody," Ron said, "Harry was probably at work when she found out, and she probably didn't want Mum to know just yet. You know how she is. Anyway, finish the letter."

Hermione did so.

"Oh," she said, after she finished, "She's waiting till tonight to tell Harry."

"Will be quite the Valentine's Day dinner in the Potter household tonight," Ron said, grinning, "Did you see what she said about when she thinks it was – er –conceived?"

"Mmm, one moment," Hermione said, looking over the letter again. "Oh –"

She chuckled a little loudly. Ron grinned.

"It seems Harry must have gotten a little carried away explaining New Year's Eve traditions," he said.

Hermione snickered.

"I wonder how Ginny's going to tell him," Ron said, "Any special way, you think?"

"Well, you know how your sister is," Hermione said, "I'm sure she's thought of something."

-  
><strong>(Ginny's PoV – February 14th, 2005)<strong>

Ginny couldn't keep the smile from her lips, as she set the table in the dining room of her and Harry's house.

After her visit with Healer Janney at St. Mungo's, Ginny had taken a detour to the grocery store to pick up some stuff for a very special Valentine's Day dinner that evening. She had also bought a bag of the candy hearts with words all over them, that seemed to be a delicacy to Muggles. However, Ginny had used magic to change the words on the candies, and now all of them had some variations of the words "baby", "boy", "girl" and other common sayings for someone who was expecting.

She had also bought some rather romantic Valentine decorations, which were now set across the table. Across the room, in his play pen, James started to cry.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked James, as she walked over and picked him up.

She rubbed her hands along James' diaper.

"Well, you're not wet," she said, "Are you hungry?"

James giggled and babbled softly.

"You didn't want to miss your Valentine's Dinner either, huh?" Ginny asked, "Okay.""

Ginny carried James into the kitchen, and used her wand to fill a bottle of warm milk.

"I think we'll try something different than what you're used to, okay?" Ginny said, taking the bottle.

She headed upstairs and into James' bedroom, where she sat down on the rocking chair near his crib. She wasn't sure how James would react to this, because ever since he was born, he had been breastfed. But earlier that day at St. Mungo's, Healer Janney had commented that now that Ginny was pregnant, it was best to try to wean James into using a bottle. In another month or two, Ginny's breasts would start to get tender once again, and breastfeeding would become too painful for her.

She put the bottle to James' lips, and smiled when he took it gratefully. At first he seemed unsure, but then as he gentle sucked on the nipple of the bottle, Ginny could tell James was enjoying it.

"That's not so bad, huh?" Ginny asked him, "We have to get you used to that."

Ginny started rocking back and forth in the chair.

"What do you think about having a brother or sister?" she asked James.

James murmured softly against his bottle.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "I like the idea too."

Ginny looked around the room and her eyes fixed on the mobile above James' crib. On the mobile, there were small toy Quidditch players going around in a circle. James always seem to stare at the one that looked as if he was chasing a Snitch.

"I'm not sure how much longer you're going to be in this bedroom, James," she said, "This house wasn't made to hold too many children. Your grandfather was the only child when he lived here. If only he could see you... I wonder what he would say about you having his name. He'd probably get a kick out of that, huh?"

James babbled against the nipple of the bottle.

"Yeah," Ginny said, then sighed. "I wonder what your father would say to the idea of moving into Grimmauld Place. I know he doesn't like that house too much. He only goes there to make sure Kreacher's still alive. You haven't met Kreacher yet. He'll probably like you. You and him have something in common, though. You babble a lot. He doesn't say too much either. He does say more than you, I'll give him that."

Ginny smiled.

"You should have seen Kreacher," Ginny said, "When I told him I was pregnant with you. He thought it was rather hilarious that I was going to be a mama."

"Mama," James said softly.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Ma-"

Ginny's eyes widened and she lifted her head from the cushion of the chair. She looked at James.

"What?" she asked, "You – you said your first word! Oh, very good! Can you say it again? Say mama."

James giggled and babbled indistinctly.

"Aw well," Ginny said, "Maybe you can do it when Daddy gets home. He'll be so jealous he missed that! Can you say Dada?"

James pulled the bottle back toward him and just sucked on the nipple again.

"No?" Ginny asked, "Okay. I'm so proud of you though. I'm sure Daddy will be too. That is two things he'll get to hear about -"

"Ginny!" Harry's voice called out, "I'm home!"

"Oh, Daddy's home!" Ginny said, grinning, then looked up, "I'm in James' room!"

Ginny heard Harry's footsteps coming up the stairs, and a moment later, Harry walked into the room.

"Oh," Harry said, "He's on the bottle now?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Thought I'd let him try. He likes it. Oh, guess what? I – er -"

Ginny sighed. She was eager to tell Harry the news of her pregnancy, but it could wait. The food would be ready in the oven pretty soon, so she wouldn't have to wait too much longer.

"What?" Harry asked.

Ginny decided she could give the other piece of news now.

"James said his first word," Ginny said, "Just a couple minutes ago. He said mama."

Harry's eyes widened, and he walked over and kneeled next to the chair.

"Did you now?" Harry asked, looking at James, "What else can you say? Can you say Dada for me?"

James lifted his lips from the bottle and just babbled indistinctly.

"I think he said his one word for now," Ginny said, chuckling.

"That's okay," Harry said.

He smiled and gently rubbed James' head.

"Where's Kayla?" Harry asked, referring to James' babysitter, "Isn't she usually here when I get home?"

"She left a few hours ago," Ginny said, "When I came home."

"You came home early?" Harry said.

"No, I didn't go to work today," Ginny said, then realized that she didn't want Harry to know that just yet.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Oh, er -" Ginny said, thinking quickly, "Valentine's Day, you know. The boss loves the holiday, so I had the day off."

"Oh," Harry said.

Ginny averted her eyes and looked down at the bottle. It was now empty.

"Oh, you drank that all up!" she cooed at James.

James burped. He must not have liked that at all, because he started crying.

"Ohh, I'm sorry," Ginny said, lifting James up and patting him on the back, "In all this excitement, I forgot to burp you."

Ginny suddenly heard a loud beeping sound coming from the kitchen.

"Dinner's done," Ginny said to Harry, "How about I get it, and you can help James get to sleep while I serve the food."

"Sure," Harry said.

Ginny gently handed James to Harry, and James started to cry.

"Oh, you're okay," Harry said to him, then looked up at Ginny, "He's still in that Mummy appreciation phase, huh?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, chuckling, "I guess so."

She smiled and left the bedroom, then headed downstairs. A few minutes later, the food was ready on the table.

"James is asleep," Harry said, "Maybe we'll have this evening all to ourselves and we can celebrate Valentine's Day right."

Ginny blushed and motioned for Harry to take his seat.

"Oh, lasagna," Harry said, "We haven't had this since -"

Ginny averted her eyes and took a seat in her chair. She knew what Harry was thinking, because that was what Ginny was hoping he would think. The last time they had lasagna was when she was pregnant with James.

"Well, for quite a while," Harry said.

"I also bought a chocolate cake," Ginny said.

Ginny looked at Harry, and noticed his eyes look down at the lasagna. She grinned. Her favorite dessert when she had been pregnant had been chocolate cake.

"Ginny," Harry said, "There isn't anything you want to tell me, is there?"

"Hmm?" Ginny asked, taking a bite of her lasagna.

"You didn't take work off today because of the holiday, did you?" Harry asked.

"No," Ginny said, "I took it off because I had an appointment with a Healer today."

"Which one?" Harry asked.

"Would you like to take a wild guess?" Ginny replied.

Ginny reached across the table to the small bowl of candy hearts. She picked one up and popped it in her mouth. Harry looked at them and looked back at Harry.

"Ginny," Harry said.

"You can say it," Ginny said, grinning.

"You're pregnant?" Harry asked.

Ginny smiled and nodded. Harry grinned. He stood up quickly, walked over to Ginny and hugged her. When he backed away, Ginny noticed tears in his eyes.

"I'm due in August," Ginny said.

"Oh, wow," Harry said.

"You're happy, right?" Ginny asked.

"Of course I am!" Harry said, then sat back down in his chair, "Wow... I need to write some letters."

"Already started on those," Ginny said.

"Oh?" Harry asked.

"I was bursting to tell somebody," Ginny said, "And you were at work, so I thought I'd wait to tell you until now. I didn't know who I wanted to tell first, and then Pigwidgeon arrived with our Valentine's Day cards. So I wrote a letter to Ron and Hermione and told them."

"I'm sure they're thrilled," Harry said.

"It's okay that I told them, right?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "of course."

"Okay," Ginny said, "Because for a moment there I thought you weren't happy with that."

"Ginny, I'm extremely happy," Harry said, "This is wonderful news. If I have anything to be upset about, it is just that I've been looking forward all day to another attempt at trying for a baby tonight. Guess we don't have to do that, huh?"

"Well," Ginny said, "Not in that sense, no."

"So you mean –?" Harry began.

"What do you think, Harry?" Ginny asked, "I'm not at that phase where I'm put off of sex yet, you know. We have a couple months."

"Guess I should use my time wisely, then," Harry said.

"Not until you finish your dinner," Ginny growled.

Harry snickered.

"What now?" Ginny asked.

"I'm going to have to get used to those mood-swings all over again," Harry said.

Ginny picked up a candy heart and threw it at Harry. Harry just chuckled.


	16. Chapter 16: No Title

**Chapter 16  
>No Title<strong>

**Author's Note: Couldn't think of a title for this chapter. Sorry! Also... there's some confusion with some of the readers surrounding Ginny's pregnancy, so I'll clear this up now. Ginny's due around sometime in August. The baby was conceived around the very end of December. This might mess up some of the calculations, but if I'm right, then August should be correct. Sorry if you are a bit confused about that. Sometimes confuses me too, haha! **

**(Hermione's PoV – February 28th, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: End of 28 Weeks)**

It was two-o-clock in the morning when Hermione opened her eyes on the final day of February. She frowned, and shook her head as she looked at the clock on the beside table. It had been a few days since she stopped waking up at all hours of the night, and she had hoped that was over with. But now, yet again, she was up hours before she usually had to get up to start the day. She turned to Ron, who was sleeping peacefully, and he seemed to be dreaming about something. Ron usually woke up to find her awake, but lately he had been so tired as well, and Hermione could get usually get back to sleep without waking him up.

Hermione sat up, then carefully stood up from the bed. She cautiously watched Ron as she did, but he remained asleep. As she walked out of the room, she felt another nudge in her stomach, and suddenly had the urge to pee. This didn't surprise her. As Astoria had warned her, the same symptoms she had at the start of her pregnancy had come back to Hermione in full swing. Astoria knew what she was talking about, because Hermione's doctor had said the same thing.

Apparently, Hermione's third trimester had come in like a lion.

Dr. Sterling had scheduled for an appointment at the start of Hermione's twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, to check on the baby's movements inside the womb, and Hermione soon came to discover why, during the appointment. Thanks to the ultrasound, Hermione could see that the baby had moved quite a bit (which also explained the constant nudges as of late), and her head was now facing downward. According to the doctor, this was perfectly normal, because the baby was now at the very beginning stages of the birthing process, that would take the rest of the pregnancy to complete. This also meant that the baby's head would be resting near Hermione's bladder. The baby was now roughly a little over two pounds and sixteen inches. She wouldn't be growing too much more over the next few weeks, but she would be putting on some weight, thus making the constant bathroom breaks also perfectly normal, much to Hermione's displeasure.

After she was finished relieving herself, Hermione headed for her daughter's future bedroom. Even though Ron had promised to let Hermione decorate the bedroom, he had moved a few pieces of furniture into the bedroom, including a wooden rocking chair that his mother gave them.

Hermione sat down in the rocking chair and looked around the room. Ever since she had started having these moments where she woke up in the middle of the night, Hermione had started reading the pregnancy books again, and had found what was going on. She was going through what was called 'pregnancy insomnia'. It was believed that this symptom, even though it was quite troublesome, was supposed to get the mother's body used to waking up at all hours of the night whenever the baby would need her after they were born.

The book had suggested that she should calm herself down by thinking about stuff that had to do with her baby, particularly after the baby was born and her pregnancy was over with. This was usually suggested, because sometimes the mother, and at moments the father, would find that they were upset they were pregnant, and it would help them calm down.

As she sat there, Hermione thought about what would happen in the near future. She could picture herself sitting in the chair, holding her sleeping daughter in her arms.

"Hermione?" Ron's voice said, breaking Hermione out of her thoughts.

She frowned and looked up at her husband. He shook his head and walked over to Hermione, then kneeled down next to her.

"You're up again, huh?" he asked.

"That's rather obvious, huh?" Hermione said.

"I thought that had stopped," Ron said.

"It did," Hermione said.

"You're awake now," Ron said.

"I know," Hermione said, sighing.

"Maybe you shouldn't go into work today," Ron said, "You can start your maternity leave today instead of tonight."

"I need to go into work today, Ron," Hermione said, "I have one last day to find my temporary replacement, and I can't miss it."

"Can't someone else do it?" Ron asked, "Can't Delilah or –?"

"I don't trust anyone else," Hermione said, shaking her head, "It's bad enough I have to trust my department, my brain-child, in the hands of someone else. I have to do this or I'll -"

Hermione's words were quelled when Ron put his arms around her and hugged her.

"Okay," he said, "You can go."

He then backed up and looked at her.

"On one condition, though," he said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"If you wake up in the middle of the night like this again," Ron said, "wake me up please. It scares me every time I wake up this late at night, and I don't see you in bed. Sometimes I don't know where you are."

"Ron," Hermione said, sighing, "You know you need your sleep. It scares me to think what will happen to you during your Auror duties because you're exhausted."

"I don't sleep very well when you're not in bed with me," Ron said.

"Liar," Hermione said, though she smiled, "I watch you sleep when I'm awake. You always look quite peaceful."

"I'm up now, aren't I?" Ron said, "If you want me to have a good night's rest, you need to do the same. At least until the baby's born."

Hermione sighed again, but nodded.

"Okay, deal," she said, "If I wake up at night, I'll wake you up too."

"Good," Ron said, "Now can we go back to bed?"

Hermione nodded and stood up. She took his hand and they returned to their bedroom.

-  
>It was ten-o-clock that morning, and Hermione was in her office packing up a few of the things she could take home while she was on maternity leave. As she was doing this, she heard a knock on the door.<p>

"Come in," Hermione said.

The door opened, and Delilah walked in, followed by Parvati Macmillan, formerly Patil, one of Hermione's old classmates, and one of the first who had applied for a job when Hermione had created the department.

"Mrs. Macmillan," Delilah said, "As you asked for."

"Thanks, Delilah," Hermione said, "Come in, Parvati."

Parvati walked into the office, and Delilah left, shutting the door behind her.

"Packing already?" Parvati asked.

"Yep," Hermione said, "Getting the office ready for you to move into in the next couple of hours."

Hermione smiled at Parvati, whose eyes had gone very large.

"M-me?" Parvati asked, "You mean –?"

"I've appointed you as temporary Head of this department," Hermione said, "This will be your office for the next few months while I am on maternity leave."

"Oh wow," Parvati said, "I don't know what to say."

"I'm hoping you'll say yes," Hermione said.

"Of course I will!" Parvati said, "I'm just rather confused as to – well – why you picked me."

"Parvati," Hermione said, chuckling, "You're one of my oldest friends. I've known you for so long, and I trust you the most for this job. I know you'll keep this brain-child of mine on its feet."

"Well, sure, I think I can do that," Parvati said, "Yeah."

"I know you can," Hermione said.

"H-how long will I be in this office?" Parvati asked.

"I am planning to return sometime around my birthday," Hermione said, "So until September."

"Wow," Parvati said.

"That won't be a problem for you, will it?" Hermione asked.

"No," Parvati said, "Ernie will be so thrilled. Though this does mean that he'll be looking after our son a bit more."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that," Hermione said, "I can give the job to someone else if you wish for more time to spend with them?"

"Hermione, it is perfectly fine," Parvati said, "Ernie's been saying he needs to spend more time around Wallace."

"How is Wallace?" Hermione asked.

"Almost out of those terrible twos," Parvati said, "Thank, Merlin!"

Hermione chuckled.

"He's the sweetest little boy," Parvati said, "Just like his father. Though he gets into everything. I swear I've used more Charms making the things around the house baby-proof more than any other Charm I've ever used in my life. Professor Flitwick would be so proud of me!"

Hermione grinned. She tried to stifle a yawn, but failed.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Parvati asked, "You've been so tired these past few weeks."

"I-I'm fine," Hermione said, "Just really thankful for the maternity leave."

"You're starting your third trimester, right?" Parvati asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding.

"Good timing to take off work then," Parvati said, "You'll definitely need your rest. Have you signed up for child-birth classes yet?"

"Child-birth classes?" Hermione echoed; she hadn't thought about those yet! "Oh! No, I haven't. I really should do that. I'll talk to Ron about it. Thank you for reminding me."

"No problem. I'll just let you finish packing," she said, "Thanks for this, by the way! Means so much to me."

"I couldn't have picked a better temporary replacement, Parvati," Hermione said, smiling.

"I guess I need to get more acquainted with Delilah," Parvati said.

"You do that," Hermione said, grinning.

Parvati smiled and left the office. Hermione sighed and laid back in her chair. Child-birth classes on top of every thing else. She really did need this break from work.

-  
>Hermione was out of her office by noon. She met up with Ron in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, who had also taken a half-day, and soon were on the Knight Bus heading home.<p>

"Ron?" Hermione asked, as the Knight Bus turned away from the Ministry of Magic.

"Mmm?" Ron muttered.

"Parvati told me something today that we need to talk about," Hermione said. "Now that I am in my third trimester, we should start thinking about classes."

"About what?" Ron asked.

"You know," Hermione said, "The child-birth classes. To help me, and you, get through the birthing process easier when that time comes."

"Oh," Ron said, "That. Yeah, you don't have to worry about that."

"What?" Hermione asked, "Of course I do! It is a routine practice. We can't skive off of that."

"Relax, Hermione," Ron said, "It is all taken care of."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"It's taken care of," Ron repeated, "We'll be starting that in the next few days. I just have to sort it all out."

"You mean you've already thought about this stuff?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Ron said, "I've been reading through those pregnancy books too. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"No, I know you have," Hermione said, "I'm just... sort of surprised you knew about that. I hadn't even thought about it until Parvati mentioned it."

"Well, I have thought about it," Ron said, "And trust me. It's all taken care of. Or it will be as soon as I sort it out."

"Okay," Hermione said.

She yawned and put her head on Ron's shoulder.

"Tired?" Ron asked.

"I could use a nap," Hermione said.

"I'll fix you some lunch when we get home," Ron said, "And then you can sleep for as long as you want. You can sleep all day tomorrow if you want to as well."

"I don't want to sleep too much," Hermione said, "Tomorrow's your birthday. I want to spend it with you."

"I have to work tomorrow," Ron said.

"On your birthday?" Hermione asked.

"I'm an Auror, Hermione," Ron said.

"I know that, Ronald," Hermione said, "It's just -"

She sighed.

"Fine, then I'll come meet you during your lunch break," Hermione said.

"Lunch?" Ron asked, "Oh, I – er - might be too busy for a lunch break."

"You?" Hermione asked, "Too busy for food? Not likely."

"We can always celebrate tomorrow night," Ron said.

"I'll miss you too much," Hermione said.

"Well, if you take a long nap," Ron said, "You won't have to miss me, because I'd be home quicker than you know it."

Hermione yawned again.

"A nap does sound good," she said, nodding.

Ron grinned and put his arm around Hermione. She rested her head on his shoulder as the Knight Bus made its way to their house.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – March 1st, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: Beginning of 29 Weeks)<strong>

When Hermione woke up the following day, it was almost eleven-o-clock. She frowned when she realized Ron hadn't waken her up to see him off. She then immediately decided that she would surprise Ron and go see him for lunch. He had said that he might not be able to have a lunch break, but Hermione knew better. Ron couldn't skip a meal if his life depended on it.

So Hermione got up and began to get ready. Spring was right around the corner, and the days had begun to get warmer, which meant Hermione didn't have to worry about treading over dangerous snow.

Right at noon, the Knight Bus arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione walked into the restaurant and looked around to see if she could find Ron. Then she saw him... and he wasn't alone.

A girl that Hermione didn't recognize was with Ron at the table. The girl stood up and put a hand on Ron's shoulder rather gently. Ron nodded, and the girl walked off. Hermione narrowed her eyes and walked toward Ron.

"Who was that?" Hermione asked, not caring how loud her voice was.

"Hermione?" Ron said, rather surprised to see her, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you that you needed your sleep."

"Well, I was planning on joining you for lunch!" Hermione said, "But now I can see that someone had already joined you."

"What?" Ron asked, then his eyes widened in recognition, "Oh – Hermione – that's just -!"

"No, I think I know very well what is going on," Hermione said, "I can see now why you didn't want me to join you for lunch. Goodbye, Ron! Don't worry about me if I'm not at home!"

"Hermione!" Ron said, standing up, "I can explain!"

Hermione shook her head, and walked off out of the Leaky Cauldron, her eyes swimming with tears.

-  
><strong>Okay, this chapter was very short, but I wanted to leave it at a cliffhanger. You'll find out who that woman is next chapter, and let's just say it might not be what you think.<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed.**


	17. Ron's Birthday

**Chapter 17  
>Ron's Birthday<strong>

**(Hermione's PoV – March 1st, 2005 – Hermione's Pregnancy: Beginning of 29 Weeks)**

The Knight Bus stopped at its destination, and Hermione walked slowly off the bus. She walked up the sidewalk, and knocked on the door of the house with a bit of force. Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to compose herself as she waited for the door to open.

The door opened and Ginny stood there, holding James in her arms.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked, "What's wrong?"

"I need someone to talk to," Hermione said, "Can I come in?"

"Of course!" Ginny said, backing away.

Hermione walked inside and Ginny shut the door.

"Is something wrong with the baby?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione said, "The baby's fine."

"And this something you can't talk to Ron about?" Ginny asked.

"I don't want to talk to Ron right now!" Hermione said, tears leaking from her eyes again.

"Oh," Ginny said, "I see. It is one of those hormonal stages again. What did Ron do this time?"

Hermione sniffled. She walked into the living room and sat down slowly on the couch.

"I think Ron's seeing another woman," Hermione said.

"What?" Ginny asked, "No... Ron wouldn't do that. He's too bloody cowardly."

Ginny walked over to James' playpen and gently set James down in it. She then looked back at Hermione.

"I'm sure this is just the hormones talking," she said.

"No, it is not, Ginny!" Hermione said, "I saw her!"

"Who?" Ginny asked.

"A girl!" Hermione said. "I went to the Leaky Cauldron to surprise Ron and join him for lunch. And there was a girl there with him at the table. She – I saw her touch Ron on his shoulder, and Ron – the bloody git looked mighty pleased about it!"

"Maybe there's a good explanation for it, Hermione," Ginny said.

"Yeah, the bastard's cheating on me," Hermione said.

"That's one explanation, yes," Ginny said, "But it could be something else. I mean, Hermione – come on. Ron loves you."

"Seems he loves someone else now," Hermione said, as she felt more tears stream down her face.

"I'm not so sure," Ginny said. "I think that is your hormones talking and you are blowing this whole thing out of proportion. She could have been anyone. Maybe she's a fellow Auror on her lunch break."

"Harry is Ron's partner in the Auror department," Hermione said. "They usually eat lunch together."

"Was Harry there?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione said.

"Well, then," Ginny said, "Maybe I'm right."

"Did Harry ever say anything about Ron working with someone else?" Hermione asked.

"Well... no," Ginny said, "He didn't."

"Then this... slag... does not work with Ron," Hermione said.

"I still don't think he's cheating on you," Ginny said.

"Yesterday, on the Knight Bus," Hermione said, "Ron said he might be too busy for lunch with me today. I said I could meet him today, and he kept saying we could celebrate tonight and that I should rest. He was skiving me off to meet this girl, Ginny! What other proof do you need?"

Ginny opened her mouth to reply, but a knock on the door interrupted her.

"I'll be right back, Hermione," Ron said, "Don't think about this anymore until I get back."

Hermione scoffed and Ginny stood up and headed out of the living room. A moment later she returned and she wasn't alone. Ron was standing there with her.

"I don't think she wants to talk to you right now, Ron," Ginny said.

"You got that right," Hermione scoffed.

"Hermione," Ron said, "If you only let me explain at the Leaky Cauldron, we'd be sitting down for lunch. Now I had to take the rest of the day off just because I was so worried about you."

"Oh, you're worried about me?" Hermione asked, "Right. Well, it looks like you have someone else to worry about now, I think. And it isn't me... or our baby!"

"What?" Ron asked, "You mean that girl? Hermione, that's your mid-wife!"

Ginny snorted and chuckled. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm sorry – it's just -," Ginny said, laughing, "I knew you were taking this whole thing out of proportion. I mean -"

Ginny stopped when Hermione quelled her with a look. Hermione looked back at Ron.

"My mid-wife?" Hermione asked him.

"He means it is someone who will help you with the pregnancy," Ginny said.

"I know what it means!" Hermione said. "I didn't know you knew what it meant, Ron."

"How many times do I have to say I did my research too?" Ron asked.

Hermione frowned. Ron sighed and walked over to the couch and sat next to her.

"So... you're not cheating on me?" Hermione asked.

"What?" Ron asked, "How could you –? I would never do that, Hermione! I love you! I love our baby! I could never cheat on you!"

Hermione felt more tears in her eyes. She put her hands over her face and started sobbing. Ron put his arm around Hermione and hugged her.

"I'm sorry," Hermione mumbled, "It's just – I thought – I saw you with her. She put her hand on her shoulder, and you were smiling at her. I thought -"

"I was smiling," Ron said, "because I had finally found someone who could be there at home with you during your maternity leave, when I'm at work. I thought I was going to have to take a bunch of time off work if I couldn't find somebody. Do you know how difficult it is to hire a midwife who is also a witch? You can't just go to Diagon Alley and buy one, Hermione. I was grinning because I had found someone who was perfect for the job!"

"Oh," Hermione said.

"I could never cheat on you, Hermione," Ron said, "You're too smart not to know that."

"Guess I'm not that smart," Hermione said, scoffed.

"Well, now I'm starting to agree with you," Ron said.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and Ron rolled his.

"What did I say yesterday on the Knight Bus?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged.

"You asked me about the child-birth classes, Hermione," Ron said, "And I said..."

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione said, "That's what you meant -"

"What did he say?" Ginny asked.

"I said I had it all taken care of," Ron said.

"I should have known you meant a mid-wife," Hermione said, "Oh, bloody hell I feel so stupid right now!"

"Well," Ginny said, "Now that this is all over with, I think I should fix something for us to eat. Because it seems you missed your lunch, Hermione."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I did."

"I'll fix something small for now," Ginny said. "And – well – since both of you are here, we can celebrate Ron's birthday when Harry gets home. I'll work on making stuff for a small birthday party."

"Thank you, Ginny," Ron said, "That sounds wonderful."

"Think of it as my birthday gift," Ginny said, "Since I didn't get you anything else."

Ginny winked.

"Can you keep an eye on James for me?" she asked.

"Sure," Hermione said.

"Cheer up, Hermione," Ginny said, "Ron doesn't deserve these hormone attacks on his birthday of all days."

"No," Hermione said, looking at Ron and smiling, "He doesn't."

Ron grinned. Ginny walked out of the living room. Ron took Hermione's hand and massaged it with his fingers.

"You really thought I cheated on you?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, frowning, "I should have known better. It's my fault. I'll understand if you are upset. You have every right to be."

"I'm not mad," Ron said. "I'm relieved. I thought I lost you."

Hermione leaned toward Ron and kissed him softly on the lips.

"You'll never lose me," Hermione said.

"Good," Ron said, "I don't know what I'd do without you. Or this baby."

Ron moved a hand to Hermione's stomach and gently massaged it.

"So, who is this mid-wife?" Hermione asked.

"Her name's Christine," Ron said, "And she's very trustworthy. I've run a background check on her and everything. She knows what she's doing. She's promised to be with you when I'm at work. She knows her stuff too. She has two kids of her own, so she's been through this before."

"Wow," Hermione said, "She didn't seem that old to me."

"She's almost thirty," Ron said.

"Oh, well, if I knew that, I wouldn't have accused you of cheating on me," Hermione said, chuckling, "You were never one for older women."

"You're older than I am," Ron said.

"Only by a few months," Hermione said, "I meant -"

"Oh," Ron said, "You meant like you and Krum."

"You had to bring him up, huh?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"Sorry," Ron said.

"No, don't be," Hermione said, "I deserve that for thinking you cheated on me."

"I've already forgiven you for that," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron softly, then laid her head on his shoulder.

"Are you tired?" Ron asked, "I'm sure Ginny wouldn't mind if you laid down in her bed for a nap."

"I'm fine," Hermione said, "I've only been up since eleven. Besides, we're watching James while she makes lunch remember?"

Hermione tried to stifle a yawn, but failed.

"Hermione," Ron said, "You can't fool me, you know."

"It's your birthday, Ron," Hermione said, "I want to spend time with you."

"Doesn't help if you are tired," Ron said, "Besides, if you sleep now, we can stay up a little late to celebrate my birthday even more."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but grinned.

"Fine," she said, "After lunch, I'll take a nap. But if I'm not up by the time Harry gets here, wake me up."

"Deal," Ron said.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – March 1st, 2005)<strong>

Ron stroked Hermione's hair, as they lay in Harry and Ginny's bed, knowing it would help her fall a sleep quicker.  
>"Ron?" Hermione muttered sleepily.<p>

"Hmm?" Ron asked.

"Would you have resigned from the Auror department if you couldn't find a mid-wife?" Hermione asked.

Ron sighed.

"Don't worry about that right now, Hermione," Ron said.

"Tell me," Hermione said, "I won't be mad either way."

"I've thought about it," Ron said, sighing audibly.

"Since when?" Hermione asked.

"It doesn't matter," Ron said, "We found a mid-wife."

"Ron," Hermione said, closing her eyes, "Tell me. I need a good story. It will help me fall asleep."

"Well, okay," Ron said. "I started thinking about it ever since I saw the most recent ultrasound at your appointment the other day. Seeing the baby in the position it is in now brings the reality of the whole thing- of how close we are to having our daughter in this world, I mean - even that much more into perspective. I'm going to be a father, Hermione, and – I want our daughter to grow up knowing me."

"She will, Ron," Hermione said.

"I know that," Ron said. "But I also know how dangerous being an Auror is. If it means that I have to find another career just to ensure that our daughter is going to – well, get to know me – then I'd resign from the Aurors in an instant."

Hermione opened her eyes again and looked at Ron, frowning.

"Are you worried something is going to happen to you?" she asked.

Ron sighed. Seeing that expression on Hermione's face almost shattered his heart. He kissed her on the forehead.

"Go to sleep," he said, "We'll worry about that later."

"Mmm, okay," Hermione said, as she closed her eyes again, "But only for a little while."

"I promise I'll wake you up when Harry gets home," Ron said.

"Mmm, okay," Hermione repeated, "Eh? Ron?"

"What is it this time?" Ron asked.

"I love you," Hermione said, smiling sleepily.

Ron smiled and kissed Hermione softly on the lips.

"I love you too, beautiful," Ron said, "Get some sleep."

"Mm, 'kay," Hermione said.

Ron stared at her, as he stroked her hair, and watched her fall to sleep. He then slowly and carefully stood up from the bed and walked back to the living room. Ginny was sitting in a chair, with James, who had a bottle in his mouth.

"Hermione finally asleep?" Ginny asked, smiling as she looked up from her son.

"Yeah," Ron said, sitting back down on the couch, "I hope she's all right. She's always so tired."

"She's perfectly fine, Ron," Ginny said. "I was in the same position she's in. I was asleep a lot too."

Ron nodded, though he was still unsure.

"Ask Harry when he gets home if you need another opinion," Ginny said. "He was worried about me, like you're worried for Hermione. He'll tell you that you don't have to be."

"Fine, I believe you," Ron said. "How are you by the way? I haven't talked to you much since I congratulated you and Harry after you told me you were pregnant again."

"I'm good," Ginny said, smiling, "I'm feeling exactly like I was when 10 weeks pregnant with James."

"Oh." Ron said, grinning, "Nausea and the need for the bathroom at all hours of the day?"

"That too," Ginny said, "But I meant I'm feeling that exhilaration that I'm going to be a mother to another beautiful child."

"Another child," Ron echoed, "Are you ready for that?"

"I am," Ginny said, nodding, "I'm not sure Harry is though."

"But I thought he said he was," Ron said.

"Oh, he is in that sense," Ginny said, "I just meant that he's not liking some of the ideas going through both our heads."

"What ideas?" Ron asked.

"Basically he isn't happy with the fact," Ginny said, "that it looks like we'll be living in Grimmauld Place before this little one inside me is born."

"Grimmauld Place?" Ron asked, "Really?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, "This house can't hold more than one child in it. Harry's not very happy with the thought of selling this house. It belonged to his grandparents, you know?"

Ron nodded.

"Also, I think he's still scared to move into Grimmauld Place," Ginny said, "The memories still come back to him, you know. Memories of Sirius and the war and everything..."

"I can understand that," Ron said.

"Oh, so can I," Ginny said, "But this is reality now. We have a house available for us which is big enough for me, Harry, James, the new baby, and more if it comes to that. I see that... I'm sure Harry sees that too. It's just not through his thick skull all the way yet."

"I'm sure he'll see it soon," Ron said.

"I know," Ginny said, "Just have to convince him it is what we need."

James gurgled and giggled.

"Yeah," Ginny said, to James, "Dada just needs a little bit of convincing."

"Dada," James said.

Ron's eyes widened.

"How long has he been doing that?" he asked.

"Since Valentine's Day," Ginny said, grinning, "His first word was mama. Wasn't it, James?"

"Mama," James said.

"That's brilliant!" Ron said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Before too long we won't be able to shut him up."

"Nope," Ron said, "Definitely not, since he is Harry's son."

James giggled, which only made Ron and Ginny giggle too.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – March 1st, 2005)<strong>

Around five that evening, Hermione walked down the stairs onto the bottom floor of Harry and Ginny's house. Delicious smells were wafting in from the kitchen, and Hermione could see Ginny working over the stove.

"Hello there, sleepyhead," a voice said behind her.

Hermione turned around. Harry was sitting in one of the chairs in the living room, holding James. Hermione smiled and walked into the living room. Ron stood up from the couch and put his arms around Hermione, hugging her. He kissed her softly, and she pouted against his lips.

"I'm mad at you," Hermione said to him, "I told you to wake me up when Harry got home."

"Relax, Hermione," Harry said, "I just got home."

"Oh," Hermione said, as Ron helped her sit down on the couch.

"Besides, from what I hear," Harry said, "You've had your fair share of anger with Ron today."

"He told you about that?" Hermione asked, glaring at Ron.

"I am his best mate," Harry said, grinning, "Of course he told me."

"Ron knows I'm sorry for what I said," Hermione said, "I blew everything out of proportion."

"Again," Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"If I knew you were going to yell at Ron about him hiring a mid-wife for you," Harry said, "I would have told you a few days ago when he told me about it."

"You knew about it?" Hermione asked, "But why didn't Ginny tell me? She could have stopped me before I said all those nasty things about Ron."

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when Hermione glared at him.

"Ron made me promise not to tell Ginny," Harry said.

"Why?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron.

"Because you and Ginny tell each other everything," Ron said, "And I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well, I am surprised," Hermione said.

Ron grinned.

"So how are you feeling, Hermione?" Harry asked, "Everything running smoothly?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Ron's always worried about me though, especially when he finds me awake in the middle of the night."

"Ginny and Harry explained to me that it is normal," Ron said, "And that I have nothing to worry about."

"Oh?" Hermione asked, looking from Ron to Harry.

"I went through the same thing with Ginny," Harry said. "More than once I found Ginny asleep in the rocking chair in James' bedroom. And that was long before James was born."

"See, Ron?" Hermione said, "I'm not that bad. I haven't fallen asleep in the rocking chair yet."

"Only because I'm up to make sure of it," Ron said, "You don't need to fall asleep in our daughter's room yet."

Hermione grinned.

"You're still referring to her as just 'your daughter'?" Harry asked, "Haven't picked out a name yet?"

"Not yet," Hermione said, shaking her head, "We didn't have it as easy as you did, Harry. We're not naming our daughter after one of our parents. Though I completely understand why you did."

Harry smiled.

"Hermione keeps telling me the name will just come to us," Ron said, "I can't argue with her on that one."

"Given her hormonal outbreaks," Harry said, snickering, "I don't blame you."

"Harry, shut it," Hermione said, "Or I'll show you hormonal outbreaks."

"Hey, I'm saying nothing," Harry said, "I'm already trying to steel myself for when Ginny's come back."

"I heard that, Harry!" Ginny said, and she sounded a lot closer than the kitchen.

"Oh, hi, love," Harry said, looking over Hermione's head, "Didn't see you there."

"Uh-huh," Ginny said, "Dinner's ready."

Harry put James in the play-pen, and he, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny sat down for dinner.

-  
><strong>I'm no good with writing birthday parties, so I'll just end it there. Hope you enjoyed! Hermione meets the mid-wife next chapter!<strong>


	18. Meet The Midwife

**Chapter 18  
>Meet The Midwife<strong>

**Author's Note: I just realized I've been mis-labeling the dates as the wrong year. It is 2006 in the story now. I'll keep that correct now. Sorry for those mistakes in the past few chapters. Also because this is Hermione's first meeting with the mid-wife, this chapter goes into a bit of pregnancy information overload. My apologies if it becomes a little strange. I just couldn't stop writing during that part, haha. **

**(Hermione's PoV – March 3****rd****, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 29 Weeks)**

Sunday morning, Hermione woke up and smiled when she saw the time on the clock: nine in the morning. She had slept all the way through the night. It seemed she had finally gotten over her pregnancy insomnia. Before Hermione could get out of bed, however, Ron walked into the room.

"Oh, good, you're up," Ron said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Have you heard from the mid-wife yet?"

"Yes," Ron said, "I received an owl from her not an hour ago. She'll be here at noon today, and then we can decide what time she'll start coming over then."

"Well, good," Hermione said, "It gives me plenty of time to get ready for her."

"I was thinking the same thing," Ron said, "And I decided it could start with breakfast in bed."

Ron took his wand from his pocket and waved it. Two trays of food floated into the room and onto the bed.

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said, grinning, "You didn't have to."

"I know," Ron said, walking over to the tray and lifting up the pan over one of the plates. "But I wanted to. I hope you're appetite is in the mood for biscuits and gravy."

"I think so," Hermione said.

Ron smiled and brought a plate over to Hermione. Ron took his own then laid down next to her.

"So I was looking at your pregnancy calender," Ron said, "And it seems you are due for a baby shower before too long."

"You really have done your research, haven't you?" Hermione said, grinning and taking a mouthful of biscuit.

"So now you believe me?" Ron asked, grinning.

"Mmhmm," Hermione said, then swallowed, "Okay, I guess we should figure out a date for the baby shower. Or did you decide that too?"

"Would you be mad if I said yes?" Ron asked.

"You did, didn't you?" Hermione said, grinning.

"Next Sunday at noon," Ron said, "I've already started doing the invitations. All you have to do is tell me who to send them to, and we can send them out tonight or tomorrow. That will give the guests plenty of time to prepare for it."

"Sounds good," Hermione said, "Although..."

"What?" Ron said, "We can figure out another date for it if you want."

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "It's just...baby showers are something for the mother to put together. The fathers usually aren't invited to those."

"Really?" Ron asked.

"Mmhmm," Hermione said.

"What is the father's equivalent to a baby shower?" Ron asked.

"Similar to a bachelor party before a wedding," Hermione said, grinning, "Minus the slags in stripper outfits."

"You mean getting hammered at a pub?" Ron asked.

"Mmhmm," Hermione said, "It is supposed to be the kind of thing where the fathers celebrate with their friends before they become too busy to do so, when they're preparing for, and taking care of, the baby."

"Guess I have some planning to do," Ron said, "Unless you want to do that."

"If you let me plan the rest of the baby shower," Hermione said, "I'll let you plan your get-together."

"Deal," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and suddenly felt a sharp nudge in her stomach, followed by a softer one.

"Oh!" Hermione said, looking at her stomach, "There she goes again."

"She's kicking again?" Ron asked, putting a hand on Hermione's stomach.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"She's been doing that a lot lately, hasn't she?" Ron asked, "Kicks and movements that you can feel?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "There's moments during the day where she's rather active. During the day, and during the night. I guess that's a good thing. I hope it is."

"That will be something we add on the list to talk to Christine about," Ron said, "I bet she knows what is going on."

"Right, Christine," Hermione said, "I'll be glad when I – err – officially meet her."

"She's very nice," Ron said, "I promise you."

"I hope she didn't hear that outburst of mine in the Leaky Cauldron on your birthday," Hermione said.

"You don't have to worry about that," Ron said.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"I brought it up to her," Ron said. "When I wrote a letter to her yesterday reminding her to come here today."

"You did?" Hermione asked, "That's so embarrassing! Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't want any problems between you and her," Ron said. "I wanted her to know the situation."

"Did she say anything?" Hermione asked.

"She understood completely," Ron said. "I – err – might have let it slip that you had a hormonal outbreak that day as well."

"Oh, great," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "I'm sure that did it."

"Relax," Ron said, "I'm sure she'll like you."

"She better," Hermione said, "Since she'll around almost every day for the next eleven weeks or so."

"Will you please be nice to her?" Ron asked, "For me?"

"Why wouldn't I be nice to her?" Hermione asked.

"Because the first time you met her," Ron said, "You didn't act very well toward her, even if you didn't exactly say anything to her. I know you had a few choice words for her when you thought I was having an affair with her."

"You know I very much regret saying those words that day," Hermione said, frowning, "I regret what I thought about her."

"I know that, Hermione," Ron said, sighing, "It's just – she's the best mid-wife I could find. We're very lucky she answered my advertisement. I don't want to have her run off just when we need her."

"I'll be nice," Hermione said, "I promise."

"Thank you," Ron said, "Er – you know – you never told me what it is you said to Ginny when you thought I cheated on you."

"Do you really want to know that, Ronald?" Hermione asked.

"Now that you mention it," Ron said. "No. Not really."

Hermione smiled and resumed eating her breakfast.

-  
>Shortly before noon, Hermione was laying comfortably on the couch, when a sudden crack of apparation was heard, followed by a knock on the door.<p>

"Ron?" Hermione called out.

"Yeah, I got it, Hermione," Ron said.

Hermione listened and heard the door open a few seconds later. Hermione sat up on the couch and looked toward the opening of the living room. A moment later, Ron walked in followed by the mid-wife Christine. She was a little taller than Hermione, and had short blonde hair rolled up in a bun that reminded Hermione of what Minerva McGonagall usually wore. She was also carrying a large flowered bag with her.

"Hermione," Ron said, "This is Christine. Christine, this is my very pregnant, very beautiful wife, Hermione."

Hermione grinned lightly at the added compliment in Ron's introduction, and waved to Christine.

"Good afternoon, Hermione," Christine said, sitting down in a chair nearest the couch, "I've heard so much about you. How are you feeling?"

"Very pregnant," Hermione said, "As my husband so kindly put it."

Ron chuckled as he sat down at the end of the couch.

"I can see you've decided to wear robes at the moment," Christine said, "which is actually a very good thing. It will help me check your pulse, heart-rate, and stuff like that. Then we can get down to the boring stuff, okay?"

Hermione nodded and offered her left arm to Christine, who put two fingers over Hermione's wrist.

"Pulse is wonderful," Christine said, "Now for your heart-rate. Open your robes a little... that is if you or Ron don't mind."

Hermione looked at Ron, and he gave the go-ahead.

"It's fine," Hermione said, opening her robes so that her breasts were visible.

Christine gently put two fingers over Hermione's heart.

"You don't use a stethoscope?" Hermione asked.

"You mean those weird tools Muggles use?" Christine asked, shaking her head, "No. Healers trust their own fingers for the job, not tools. I'm not a Healer, but I know the common practices. Well, your heart-rate is very normal. You're not even nervous, which is very good."

Hermione smiled. Christine backed away and picked up her bag. She pulled out a notebook of parchment, a quill and some ink. She made movements that were similar to checking off something.

"Just taking notes on what is going on," Christine said, before Hermione could comment.

"Oh, okay," Hermione said.

"Your breasts feel tender anywhere lately?" Christine asked.

"No," Hermione said.

"Good," Christine said, "If this keeps up, you should have no problem breast-feeding your baby when she's born. It is a girl right? I remember Ron mentioning that once or twice."

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Wait... breast-feeding?" Ron asked, "That sounds like -"

"It it exactly what it sounds like, Ron," Hermione said.

"And it is the usually the easiest way of feeding a baby," Christine said, "Breast-milk fresh from the source. You haven't felt any wetness on your chest, right? Any leakage?"

"No," Hermione said.

"Don't be scared if that happens over the next few weeks," Christine said, "It happens during the third trimester. Just tells you your prepared for breast-feeding. Also, you'll find this is most common during – well – to be blunt – during love-making."

"You're serious?" Ron asked.

"Excitement during sexual practices stimulates the breasts," Christine said, "That is no secret there. So, leakage is very common. Now, can I place my hands on your stomach? I need to feel for the baby."

Hermione nodded.

"Ron told me you do monthly visits to a Muggle doctor, correct?" Christine asked, as she gently put both her hands on Hermione's stomach and moved them lightly, similar to a massaging motion.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"I'm going to recommend you keep doing that," Christine said. "While I said that Healers use their hands... unlike Healers, I also trust some of the common practices Muggle doctors choose to use during their check-ups. While I can feel your baby and let you know how she's doing, your routine check-ups with the doctors will make it completely sure that your baby is still healthy."

Christine rubbed a hand over Hermione's stomach, and Hermione felt a nudge in her stomach.

"Ohh, I felt that," Christine said, grinning.

"She's been kicking a lot lately," Hermione said, nodding.

"I'm guessing you've been feeling this at different times during the day," Christine said, "As well as different times during the night."

"Yes," Hermione said, "Almost always at the same time, two separate times a day."

"That is very good," Christine said, "Something I like to hear. It means you've discovered your baby's current sleeping patterns inside the womb. I'm going to ask you to try to count these nudges you feel. Kicks, or any movements from the baby you feel. You need to do this every day. If you don't get at least ten of these, two times a day, during the day, and during the night, when the baby is awake, you need to either tell me or your doctor immediately."

"Is that common for it to happen?" Ron asked.

"No," Christine said, "And I'm almost positive it will not happen. It is just a precaution to tell you."

"So I'll be feeling a lot of these nudges now?" Hermione asked.

"Quite a few," Christine said, "They'll become very common for the rest of your pregnancy. Usually at those two common times during the day that you mentioned earlier. In fact, sometimes it can get a little unbearable when your baby decides it wants to be strong. But a good massage can help with that."

"Ron's very good at those," Hermione said, smiling at her husband.

"I thought he might be," Christine said, looking back down at her notebook, "Okay. Next... are you currently taking any child-birth classes?"

"No," Hermione said, "We were going to work on those very soon."

"Won't be necessary," Christine said, "I can teach you, and Ron, all the processes of the child-birth techniques, if that is okay with you. We'll be doing these breathing practices at least once a day for every day I'm here. And when I'm not here, I'll ask that the two of you do it yourselves."

"Wait," Ron said, "You mean I have to do them too?"

"You'll be there when Hermione's giving birth, I assume?" Christine asked.

"Er..." Ron said, glancing at Hermione.

"Of course he will be," Hermione said, grinning at Ron.

"Then yes, Ron," Christine said, "You'll be doing the practices too. If you and Hermione get used to doing these together, you'll find it becomes a routine, and Hermione will have a much easier time having to go through with it when it is time for the baby to be born, since you'll be doing those breathing practices right along with her on that day as well."

"Well," Ron said, "if it makes the process easier, I'm all for it."

"Brilliant," Christine said, "And that gets us to my next point. Have you decided where you're going to be having your baby? When I say that, I mean in a hospital or at home."

"Hopefully in a hospital," Hermione said, chuckling nervously, "Probably the one we usually go to for my check-ups."

"Do you have a current mode of transportation to get you to the hospital when that time comes?" Christine asked. "As you already know, it will be impossible for you to Apparate there."

"Either we'll call the Muggle doctors to send an ambulance," Hermione said, "Or my parents will take me."

"If you choose the latter," Christine said, "I'm going to have to ask that I meet your parents, and I will suggest that one or both of them live with you when you are closer to your due date."

"I'll talk to them about that," Hermione said.

"Brilliant," Christine said, again, "And how far is the hospital away from here?"

"About twenty minutes," Hermione said.

"Good," Christine said, nodding, "If it takes too long to get to the hospital, sometimes it could endanger the birthing process. Because of that, you must also consider the possibility of having your baby at home. Sometimes, when it is time for the baby to be born, it becomes unpredictable to pin-point the exact time that will happen."

"I guess we should prepare for that as well," Hermione said.

"I can help you there," Christine said, "When the due date becomes closer, I'll bring in all the needed tools, potions and everything else that are common for Healers to use during the birthing process and post-birth. We'll figure out some place in the house, here, to place them, giving us easy access if that is needed. Usually it is most common for a water birth, if it is done at home."

"A what?" Ron asked.

"She means I would be in the bath-tub if we had to do this here," Hermione said.

"And that isn't dangerous?" Ron asked.

"No," Christine said, "The baby is used to a watery state inside the mother's womb, and it usually ensures a safe process. At hospitals, doctors and Healers usually don't use this because they happen to know what they are doing, so a hospital bed is more likely there."

"Oh," Ron said.

"Again, this is only cautionary," Christine said, "Nine times out of ten, you're able to get to the hospital with plenty of time to spare. I'm going to assume, since you still have a couple of months before you even have to worry about what will happen on the day your baby is born, that you probably don't want to hear those gooey details just yet."

Hermione looked up at Ron, who looked as if he was agreeing with Christine.

"We can wait for that," Hermione said, chuckling.

"That is completely fine with me," Christine said, "And I think we're done with those details. Now we should discuss when I'm going to be here. I already discussed this with Ron, but since you're the one going to have to – er – deal with me on a regular basis, Hermione, I thought I'd talk about it with you. Usually my work hours are flexible, but I only work on the weekdays, so I can spend the weekend with my own kids. Usually the mothers are fine with this, because their spouses are home on the weekends. Ron's already given me his work hours, and he's already explained that is when he's worried about you the most."

Hermione looked at Ron and rolled her eyes. He just grinned.

"His work hours would be fine for you to be here," Hermione said, "Thank you."

"Eight in the morning, to five at evening," Christine said, jotting down something on her notes, "Sounds good to me. I think that is all for now. We can start on your breathing classes tomorrow, Hermione, and you can teach Ron when he gets home from work. But until then, for a bit of early practice, you could do some inhaling and exhaling and making yourself calm."

"Hermione's used to that lately," Ron said, "She's been doing some meditation and yoga to help relax her backaches."

Christine looked at Hermione, and Hermione nodded.

"Well, I'm very impressed," Christine said, "I thought I would have to teach you those practices as well. That will help your breathing practices a lot. Very good. Well... if you don't have any other questions...?"

"No, I think you've explained quite a bit," Hermione said.

"Brilliant," Christine said, "Then I will see you tomorrow. It was very nice meeting you, Hermione."

"You too," Hermione said, grinning.

Christine smiled and stood up.

"I'll see myself out," Christine said.

She nodded her goodbyes to Hermione and Ron, then left the living room and walked out of the house.

"So?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I like her," Hermione said, nodding, "Though she sounds more like a baby-sitter than a mid-wife. I hope that I'm just imagining that, Ronald."

Ron just smiled.

"Ron!" Hermione said, "I don't need a baby-sitter."

"What else do you think she's going to do while she's here?" Ron asked, "Other than helping you with breathing practices and checking on you and the baby. Mid-wives help take care of you. That's her job."

"I can take care of myself, you know," Hermione said.

"Relax, Hermione," Ron said, "She knows you can. She also knows your nausea's been acting up again lately, so you can't really do much in the kitchen, can you?"

"No, I guess not," Hermione said, sighing.

"She's offered to do some cooking for you too," Ron said. "She knows some good recipes for pregnant mothers and they'll usually go along with your appetite."

"Okay, fine," Hermione said, "She can baby-sit me. But if she becomes too annoying, I swear on Merlin's baggy Y-fronts -"

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Ron said, "Did she sound annoying to you in any way?"

"No," Hermione admitted, "She was very nice. She sounded like she knew what she was talking about."

"Of course she did," Ron said, "That's because she does! That is why I hired her."

"What if I don't like her after a while?" Hermione asked.

"We could always resort to having my mother around the house," Ron said, with a smirk, "And I don't think I need to tell you who will be less annoying when it comes to your pregnancy, Hermione."

Hermione snickered.

"Fine," Hermione said, "I did promise you I'd give her a chance."

"Good," Ron said, "That's all I ask for."

Hermione smiled and beckoned Ron toward her with a finger. He got off the couch, kneeled next to her, and Hermione leaned toward him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I love you, Hermione," Ron said, smiling.

"I love you too, Ron," Hermione said, then muttered softly, "Even if you can be a pain in my butt sometimes."

"Well, you'd know all about those as of late, wouldn't you?" Ron said, snickering.

Hermione smacked Ron lightly on the back. Ron just chuckled and leaned back to her and kissed her.

**I hope I didn't gross you out by some of those details during the conversation with the mid-wife. I could have done a bit more, but I thought I'd leave the gooey details of the birthing process to myself (and those parents, which I'm not one by the way, who already know all about that), until that time comes in the story. **

**Hope you liked this chapter. Love all your feedback so far. Means so much to me!**


	19. Head Rushes and Heartburn

**Chapter 19  
>Head Rushes and Heartburn<strong>

**(Hermione's PoV – March 10th, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 30 Weeks)**

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
><em>

Hermione sighed and smacked the snooze button. She then turned back around and looked through her eyelashes at Ron, who was smiling and looking at her. He was already dressed in his clothes for the day.

"Thought you'd still be asleep," Hermione said, stifling a yawn, "Usually I have to wake you up."

"I've learned it is better to wake up before your blasted alarm clock goes off," Ron said, grinning, "Besides, I have to get ready for my equivalent of the baby-shower."

Hermione snickered.

"Breakfast is ready for you when you're ready for it," Ron said, "I made cinnamon buns. There's quite a few so Christine can have some."

"Mmm, yes, Christine," Hermione said, "Remind me again why she is coming over on a Sunday?"

"She wanted to be here for your baby shower," Ron asked, "And she wants to meet your mother, remember? To talk to her about being here when your due-date comes around?"

"Right," Hermione said, "I had temporarily forgotten about that."

"Will you be nice to Christine?" Ron asked.

"I think I have been quite nice to her this week, Ronald," Hermione said.

"Hey," Ron said, "I'm the one whose dealt with your hormones. I know how you are. You haven't had an outbreak for a week. You're due for one."

"I promise I'll keep my hormones to myself," Hermione said.

Ron smiled, then leaned toward her and kissed her softly.

"Ron," Hermione murmured against his lips, "Christine is probably going to be here in about thirty minutes."

"That gives me twenty-nine minutes to spend with you," Ron said, grinning; he kissed Hermione again, "Besides, I know you don't have a problem being romantic with me when she's around."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"Last night," Ron said. "Christine was still here when I got home, and you tried to snog me while she was in the same room."

"I was not snogging you!" Hermione said, chuckling, "It was a welcome-home kiss."

"I know the difference," Ron said.

"Oh, so I can't snog my own husband now?" Hermione asked.

"I just happen to think you're still jealous of Christine," Ron said.

"I am not!" Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Prove it," Ron said.

Hermione smiled, and leaned toward Ron and kissed him, massaging his lips with her tongue. As he kissed her back, Ron put his hand on Hermione's stomach and massaged it gently. Hermione then felt a strong nudge against her stomach.

"Oh, there's the first one of the morning," Ron said, backing away from Hermione's lips and grinning.

"Right," Hermione said, "I have to count those, huh? Oh... there's number two."

"She must be hungry," Ron said.

"I guess I should get up and get some of those cinnamon buns you mentioned," Hermione said.

"Do you need help getting up?" Ron asked.

"I think I know how to handle my melon of a stomach, Ronald," Hermione said, "I've had it for a while now."

"Okay, but remember to breathe," Ron said.

Hermione inhaled and exhaled, as she sat up on the edge of the bed. She felt a little dizzy as she did so.

"Whoa," Hermione said, sighing.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Just got a bit of a head-rush."

"Well, Christine said that was normal, didn't she?" Ron asked, "Until you perfected your breathing techniques, remember?"

Hermione nodded. She remembered doing her breathing practices with Christine quite well...

_Flashback:_

_(Hermione's PoV – March 4th, 2006)_

_Hermione walked out of the bathroom, after having to relieve herself for a third time that morning. She found Christine in the living room, inflating an air mattress with her wand._

_"Sorry about that," Hermione said, "When nature calls, you know."_

_"That is very normal, Hermione," Christine said, "You don't need to apologize. Especially since you'll be going through it more often than not. And given that I will be here more often than not..."_

_"Right, hadn't thought about that," Hermione said, "I'll keep the apologies to a minimum."_

_Christine smiled._

_"What's this?" Hermione asked, nodding to the air mattress._

_"Well, I thought we'd start on your breathing practices," Christine said, "I know you probably aren't comfortable with laying on the ground, is that correct?"_

_"I usually lay on the couch," Hermione said._

_"Right," Christine said, "Unfortunately, the couch does not imitate a hospital bed very well. An air mattress, while this is a lot lower on the ground than a hospital bed, does however."_

_"Why can't we use my own bed?" Hermione asked, "It is much higher up than that air mattress."_

_"Because you're used to it, Hermione," Christine said. "I usually do not recommend the bed because of that factor alone. Most of the time you'll relax far too quickly. During the birthing process, you will not relax that quickly, or that often, so we have to use something you're not going to be used to."_

_"Oh," Hermione said, "That actually makes a load of sense to me."_

_"Brilliant," Christine said, "At the moment, I will assist you with laying down on the air mattress. Sooner or later, you'll find this process becomes easy enough to do on your own."_

_Hermione nodded and walked over to the air mattress. Christine helped her sit down. The mattress was a bit flexible and bouncy, though also strangely comfortable. Hermione laid her back against the pillows until she was halfway between the state of laying down and sitting up._

_"This is the position you'll be in during your childbirth," Christine said. "We will be doing your breathing practices in this position. If you keep doing this every day for a while, and then after a couple of weeks, every other day, you'll find it will be far easier to get you through childbirth. You'll still have to deal with the usual routine of childbirth, but this will lower the risk of any complications."_

_"That is definitely a good thing," Hermione said._

_"I agree," Christine said, "Now, yesterday you mentioned that you have already practiced the art of meditation during your pregnancy?"_

_"Quite a few times, yes," Hermione said._

_"These practices are similar to that," Christine said, "however there is one big difference. Unlike meditation, it is suggested you do not put yourself into a state of relaxation during these practices."_

_"Meaning do not try to lose myself in a happy memory," Hermione said._

_"Precisely," Christine said, "If you do that, you'll forget to breathe as often as you need, and that can be a danger to the process."_

_"How often do I need to breathe?" Hermione asked._

_"That is exactly what I'll be teaching you," Christine said, "Okay, do as I do. Breathe in..."_

_Hermione inhaled and exhaled._

_"Oh, not from the throat," Christine said, then moved two fingers toward her own chest, "From here."_

_Hermione nodded and inhaled deeply._

_"And exhale," Christine said._

_Hermione did so, and her focus went blurry for a moment._

_"Whoa," she said, blinking._

_"Something wrong?" Christine said._

_"Bit dizzy," Hermione said, trying to clear her head._

_That is what we like to call a head-rush," Christine said, "It happens when you exhale too quickly."_

_"You could have warned me about that," Hermione said._

_"Well, actually I needed you to experience that," Christine said._

_Hermione raised an eyebrow._

_"Only because you need to learn how to avoid it, Hermione," Christine said. "Head-rushes can lead to fainting, and that wouldn't be smart during the big day, correct?"_

_"No," Hermione said, "Probably not."_

_"No," Christine said, "So... this is how you prevent that. Inhale again."_

_Hermione did so._

_"But this time," Christine said, "do a pulsing breath. Like this."_

_Christine inhaled, then blew out her breath in short strides: once, twice, three times. Hermione mimicked her._

_"Very good," Christine said, "How do you feel?"_

_"A lot better," Hermione said._

_"That is what you'll need to be practicing," Christine said. "Because that is what you'll have to do during the childbirth. The doctor at the hospital, or me, if you have to have the baby here, will also be asking you to 'push', which is how you'll be helping the baby – er – to put it nicely, come up to the surface. Unfortunately that is not something you can actually practice right now, because that is dangerous for the baby. I'm just telling you this now, because that is what you'll have to prepare your breathing for. For those times when you need that breath inside you to be strong enough to push."_

_"Okay," Hermione said, "I think I understand that."_

_"Good," Christine said, "Ready to try again?"_

_Hermione nodded and inhaled. But as soon as she did, she felt a burning sensation in her chest._

_"Ooh," Hermione gasped, as she put a hand over her heart, "Heartburn."_

_"Ouch, yeah, that's common during these practices," Christine said, "Because while your breathing is helping you train those muscles that will help push your baby out of you, it is also bringing some force against your heart and it leads to that heartburn. I'm guessing you just ate breakfast before I got here, right?"_

_"Yeah," Hermione said._

_"Okay," Christine said. "That is what fuels the fire of heartburn. So... basically my only advice is the same kind your mother gave you as a child whenever you went swimming..."_

_"No getting into the pool for an hour after eating," Hermione recited._

_"Exactly," Christine said, "Or in this case... no intense breathing until an hour after mealtime."_

_"Right," Hermione said._

_"I'll just let you rest for now then," Christine said, "You did very well outside the heartburn and head rushes, but it is good to start slow. Do you need help getting up?"_

_"I can't stay on this?" Hermione asked._

_"That will get you used to the air mattress," Christine said, "And that..."_

_"Is not recommended," Hermione finished, "Right. I forgot. Sorry."_

_"I think we also need to work on you apologizing far less, Hermione," Christine said, grinning._

_Hermione chuckled as Christine helped her get to her feet._

_Flashback ends..._

Ron walked over to Hermione's side of the bed and sat down beside her.

"How about I help you this time?" Ron asked, "I've gotten a bit used to those breathing practices too."

Hermione nodded. Ron inhaled and Hermione did as well. Ron then did the pulsing breaths and Hermione followed in suit. Ron looked at her questioningly.

"Better?" he asked.

"Loads," Hermione said, smiling, "I'm better doing this with you then I am with Christine."

"I'm very happy to hear that," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione smiled and leaned toward Ron and kissed him, though was soon interrupted by another nudge in her stomach. Hermione sighed and backed away looking at her stomach.

"Three?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Guess we better go feed her then," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione nodded and stood up, then followed Ron off toward the kitchen.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang, and Hermione answered the door. Christine was standing there.

"Thank you for coming today," Hermione said, as she allowed Christine in.

"Oh, I couldn't miss your baby shower, Hermione," Christine said, grinning.

"It doesn't start for a couple of hours still," Hermione said.

Christine lifted the two bags she was carrying.

"Plenty of time to help you decorate," she said, "Have you been practicing your breathing?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I'm still experiencing head rushes though."

"Don't worry, Hermione," Christine said, "These things take time to learn, even if you are the quick learner your husband says you are."

"Right," Hermione said, "Exactly how much does my husband talk to you about me?"

"Enough to the point where you don't need to be jealous of me, Hermione," Christine said.

Hermione grinned as she followed Christine into the living room.

-  
><strong>This chapter is much shorter than I planned, because I decided to wait and have the baby shower (and Ron's own celebration) until next chapter. Hope you liked it anyway!<strong>


	20. Celebrations

**Chapter 20  
>Celebrations<strong>

**Author's Note: I'll warn you now. I'm no good at writing parties, so if there isn't much description of celebration in this chapter, I apologize. I'm better with dialogue than description. Also, this will be going between Hermione and Ron's PoVs quite a few times in this chapter, and will all take place on the same day. **

**(Hermione's PoV – March 10****th****, 2006)**

Around eleven, as Hermione waited for her other guests to arrive, she and Christine were in the process of setting up the living room for the baby shower. Smells wafted in from the kitchen, where Ron was fixing food for the baby shower.

"Hermione," Christine said, as she laid a couple of candles out on the coffee table, "If I ask you something, will you promise not to get offended or embarrassed? It is just a routine question that I haven't asked yet, and I was rather curious."

"You know you can ask me anything having to do with my pregnancy," Hermione said.

"I was just curious as to the state of your sex-life right now," Christine said.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. She could now see why Christine was so wary of asking her something like that.

"Would you consider it active?" Christine asked.

"Er... yeah," Hermione said, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's actually very good," Christine said, "And also highly recommended, if you are healthy enough, which in your case you are."

"And the baby won't feel anything?" Hermione asked.

"She won't know what is going on," Christine said, grinning, "but there are occasions she might feel it. That is perfectly safe. Actually my sex-life was quite active during this stage of my second pregnancy, with my daughter. More common than not, all you'll feel is just a bit more nudging than normal. But those reactions from your baby are very common, especially when - you know - you're at the peak of excitement during sex."

Hermione blushed. She didn't have to ask what Christine meant by that last bit.

"Completely harmless to the baby," Christine said, "And your husband will appreciate it, because – between you and me - do you think you're likely to have too much of a sex-life during the first few months after your daughter is born?"

"Considering the fact that she could need me at any moment," Hermione said, "No. Probably not."

"I didn't think so," Christine said, "Now if you excuse me... I may not be pregnant, but nature still calls on me."

Hermione chuckled, as Christine walked past her out of the room. Hermione heard Ron's footsteps as he made his way into the living room. She turned toward him and he put his arms around her, hugging her.

"Ron," Hermione said, chuckling as her husband kissed her on her head, "Shouldn't you be getting ready to go to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"I don't have to be there until noon, Hermione," Ron said, "And it will only take me one second to get there. I think I have enough time."

"Right," Hermione said, "I keep forgetting you have the utility of apparation even when I don't."

"Besides," Ron said, "I've been cooking food for the baby shower."

"You didn't have to do that," Hermione said.

"I guess I could have just let you do it while dealing with your nausea," Ron said.

"Always so considerate of the side-effects of my pregnancy," Hermione said, grinning.

Ron chuckled, and Hermione kissed him softly on the lips.

"Christine told me something that you might appreciate," Hermione said.

"Oh?" Ron asked.

"You won't have to worry," Hermione said, "about missing out on too much of our – er – bedtime activities during the rest of my pregnancy."

"Really?" Ron asked.

"It will be rather active from here until the time our child is born," Hermione said.

"I'm very happy about that," Ron said.

"You should be," Hermione said, "Considering on how much you'll miss it for a few weeks after our daughter is born. I'll be too worried about her needing me."

"Hmm," Ron said, grinning, "Maybe I should re-schedule the celebration at the Leaky Cauldron then."

"Oh, really?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows, "Now who is trying to snog who while Christine is here?"

"Relax, Hermione," Ron said, "I'm joking."

Hermione grinned and kissed him on the lips. This didn't last too long because the door-bell rang, interrupting them. Hermione backed away and headed for the front door, then opened it. Ginny and Angelina stood there, each with gifts in their hands. James was in his stroller.

"You're early," Hermione said.

"Better than being late," Angelina said.

Angelina and Ginny walked in.

"Ron, what are you still doing here?" Angelina asked, when Ron made his way toward them, "Shouldn't you be at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"That is what I said!" Hermione said, grinning.

"Well, get going," Ginny said, "Some of the guests are already there."

"Not yet," Ron said, "I'm still working on your lunch."

"You're not the only one who can cook around here, you know," Ginny said, "Now go."

"Fine," Ron said, "But only because I have enough on my hands dealing with one pregnant woman. I'd rather avoid having to deal with two today."

Hermione glared at Ron, and he just grinned, then disapparated with a cracking sound.

"Are we the only ones here so far?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione said, "Christine is here too."

"Who?" Angelina asked.

"Hermione's mid-wife," Christine said, as she walked toward them from the hallway, "Nice to meet you."

"Christine," Hermione said, "This is Angelina and Ginny, my sisters-in-law."

Christine shook hands with Angelina, then Ginny.

"Hmm, let me guess," Christine said, to Ginny, "You're about thirteen weeks into your pregnancy."

"Right on the dot," Ginny said, "How did you know?"

"Christine's very good at what she does," Hermione said.

Christine just smiled and walked back into the living room.

"Is that the woman you thought Ron was cheating on you with?" Angelina whispered.

"Oh, believe me, Angie," Ginny whispered, "that is one subject that does not need any more treading on."

Angelina raised an eyebrow, and Hermione and Ginny just laughed.

**(Ron's PoV)**

Ron appeared in front of the door of the Leaky Cauldron, and walked inside the restaurant. The room was extremely empty at the moment. Over at the bar, Harry, Bill, George and Ron's father were talking to Tom, and were the only occupants there at the moment besides Ron.

"Ah, here's the father-to-be!" Tom said, grinning.

"Low on customers today, aren't you, Tom?" Ron asked, as he sat beside Harry and George at the bar.

"This is a strictly private party, Ron," Tom said, "You and your guests are my customers for the next few hours, Ron."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Ron said.

"Nonsense," Tom said, "This is all for you."

"Don't worry, mate," Harry said, "There are enough guests coming to celebrate."

"A handful of family members is enough for you?" Ron asked.

"Er... actually, little brother," George said, "Harry and I might have invited a few more guests than those you sent invitations to."

Ron narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean by a few more guests?" he asked.

George grinned and took his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the back door that led to Diagon Alley. The door opened, and Ron's eyes widened as a number of his old friends, including a majority of the members of the old group, Dumbledore's Army, walked into the restaurant..

"Oh, dear Merlin," Ron said, grinning as his friends started going around to the tables and sitting down, "Harry, what have you done?"

"You needed this, Ron," Harry said, "After your daughter is born, you probably won't see half of these guys for a while. You'll be too focused on the baby."

"I'm aware of that, Harry," Ron said, "But I told Hermione there would only be a few guests. She'd kill me if she knew about this."

"So don't let her know, little brother," George said, grinning, "Oi, Tom, just how much Butterbeer and Firewhiskey did you say you had?"

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV)<strong>

Unlike Ron's party, which had many guests, the only guests to Hermione's baby shower were her family and closest friends. By noon, Angelina, Ginny and Christine were also joined by Andromeda, Fleur, Molly, Helen, and a very pregnant Astoria Malfoy. Most of them were sitting down in the living room talking about different things while also enjoying the lunch Ron had made for them, when Hermione returned from another trip to the bathroom. Christine and Helen, however, were talking in the kitchen.

" – been needing a bit of a holiday from the dentist's office," Helen said, "So Hermione's offer was an easy one to accept. Oh, hello, Hermione, Christine was just talking to me about what we discussed a couple days ago."

"My due date isn't until the middle of May, Mum," Hermione said, "You can still work at the office for a couple more months."

"Oh, I know that, honey," Helen said.

"Hermione's what we in the maternity career like to call a low-risk pregnancy," Christine said, "Her baby is very healthy, and all of her symptoms are completely normal for this late into the pregnancy. She's doing very well for a first-time Mum."

"I can't take all the credit," Hermione said. "I don't know what I'd do without Ron."

She smiled and walked, or rather wobbled, toward the living room.

"When are you due, Astoria?" Angelina asked.

"About a month from now," Astoria said, "Draco's ready for it to come. He just mentioned yesterday he's had enough of my pregnancy symptoms to last a lifetime."

"He doesn't want more children?" Ginny asked.

"No," Astoria said, "And at the moment, I'm agreeing with him."

"What about you, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "Can Arthur and I expect more from you and Ron in the future?"

"Ron and I want to focus on our daughter before we think about having another child, Molly," Hermione said, as she sat down carefully on the couch.

"Yeah, Mum," Ginny said, "Let them get through this one first before they even think of having more children."

"Ron's fine with waiting a couple of years," Hermione said, "And I agree with him on that."

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Astoria asked.

"No," Hermione said, sighing, "And I know we're cutting it pretty close. I told Ron I'd put some suggestions down for us to go through, but he just tells me it will come to us."

"Ron might be right, Hermione," Helen said, as she walked back into the room, "How do you think your father and I came up with your name? Right out of the blue, I tell you."

Hermione grinned.

**(Ron's PoV)**

"All right, you lot," Bill said, "I think we should have a toast! To the father-to-be, my brother Ron!"

"Didn't think you had it in you, mate!" Neville Longbottom said.

Ron rolled his eyes, as the guests around the room laughed and cheered. He took a drink of his firewhiskey as everyone else in the room yelled out "To Ron!" in unison.

"Come on, Ron, tell us," Dean Thomas said, "Have you picked out a name yet? Or are you making Hermione do that work too?"

"No name, yet," Ron said, shaking his head.

"How about Seamus!" Seamus Finnigan, who was already quite sloshed, said rather loudly, on the other side of the room.

"It's a girl, mate," Harry said.

"Oh, right, yeah," Seamus said, "Well, that won't work, will it?"

"Hermione and I will think of something," Ron said.

"Better be good, mate," Dean said, "We don't need another Millicent or Pansy roaming in the halls of Hogwarts in eleven years."

"And I bet you don't want to walk someone named Dolores down the aisle in twenty years!" Dennis Creevey said.

Ron choked in his drink.

"Okay, I don't think Ron needs to hear about that just yet," Harry said, laughing.

"No," Ron said, laughing, "Definitely not."

"He's probably already planning on hexing any boy that comes her way," George said, chuckling.

"I'll drink to that," Ron said, grinning and taking another sip of firewhiskey.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV)<br>**

The party had turned to the gift-wrapping part, and Hermione was in the middle of unwrapping the gifts. Hoping to remind Hermione and Ron's daughter of the Muggle heritage in her family, Helen had given Hermione a few Muggle children's books and toys. Mrs. Weasley had some of the same intentions in mind when it came to gifts, and had given Hermione a child-friendly version of the _Tales of Beedle The Bard_, as well as other magical children's stories.

Hermione opened Fleur's gift which turned out to be a number of post-pregnancy beauty products.

"After three pregnancies," Fleur said, "I know what can happen to a girl's body after the child is born. These will help you get back that look you had before you became pregnant. Don't thank me yet until it works, though."

Hermione smiled, and took the next gift from Ginny.

"Harry and I bought this, thinking Ron would like it if your daughter doesn't," Ginny said.

Hermione unwrapped the package, and grinned and chuckled as she opened the box. Inside was an assortment of baby clothes that had different Quidditch teams logos, Snitches, Bludgers, Quaffles and Broomsticks on them.

"Ron's been hinting about trying to turn our daughter into a Quidditch player," Hermione said, "He'll love it."

"I'd be careful showing too much of that to Ron," Angelina said. "Knowing him, you'll soon find that all of the outfits that don't have to do with the Cannons will vanish! Here you go..."

Angelina handed Hermione a large package.

"This is from George and I," Angelina said, "You're the first one to get something like this. You'll see what I mean when you open it."

Hermione's eyes sparkled as she unwrapped the package. Inside was a gift basket.

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes For Babies, Toddlers and Kids," Hermione said, reading the tag on the basket.

"The newest line in our products," Angelina said. "Ever since Fred was born, George has been coming up with ideas for jokes and products that are safe for someone that is Fred's age, as well as kids who have yet to find themselves in Hogwarts and don't need such things as the Skiving Snackboxes. We've just finally started getting everything ready to sell, and the newest products will be ready in all our stores around the country by the end of the month."

"This is wonderful!" Hermione said, grinning, "I know Ron will love it too. Thank you, Angelina."

-  
>Because of the conversations that kept going between Hermione and her guests, it was six in the evening before guests started leaving. Soon, Ginny and Helen were the only two guests there with Hermione. They were helping Hermione with the clean-up.<p>

"I really like Christine," Helen said, as she helped Hermione do the dishes by hand, "She's a great midwife for you, Hermione. She really knows her stuff."

"Ron deserves all the credit for that," Hermione said, "He was the one who found her."

"I must ask, though, Hermione," Helen said, "Why you didn't just ask me or Molly to help you with that?"

"Mum, I couldn't have asked you to do it," Hermione said, "I know how much you love your job. It was enough for me to have to ask you to take a week or two off just to be near me around my due-date."

"You didn't have to worry about that," Helen said.

"Is this about you saying you needed the holiday?" Hermione asked.

"Er... it's more than that, Hermione," Helen said. "Before the year ends, I'm going into retirement from the dentistry business."

"What?" Hermione asked, "You and Dad –?"

"No," Helen said, "Your Dad hasn't mentioned anything about retiring very soon. In fact... I haven't really talked to him about it either. You're the first one I've mentioned it to."

"But Mum," Hermione said, "You love being a dentist and everything that goes with it."

"Lately," Helen said, "I'm discovering that isn't very true anymore."

"This doesn't have anything to do with the fact," Hermione said, "that you're about to become a grandmother, does it?"

"No, of course not, honey," Helen said.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, maybe a little," Helen said, chuckling.

"You better not tell me you're feeling old just because you're about to become a grandmother," Hermione said, grinning, "You're not even fifty yet, Mum."

"I just want a more quiet life now," Helen said. "Besides, it isn't like I'm going into complete retirement and moving off into some kind of home or something. I can do other stuff... I've always been interested in doing something where I can work at home. Maybe I'll become a writer or something."

"You could write cook-books," Hermione said, "You're a good cook."

"Besides," Helen said, "You're going to need a babysitter when your daughter is born. I know Molly is usually the type to babysit, but she already has enough grand-kids to deal with, and with Ginny being pregnant again, and Percy's wife as well, she's going to have more coming. But as for me, Hermione, well -"

Hermione smiled and hugged her mother.

"I'd be happy to let you baby-sit my daughter, Mum," Hermione said, smiling.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Helen said, "If we're done here, I should get going. Have to try to find a way to tell your father about my retirement plans."

"Good luck," Hermione said.

Helen smiled, and walked out of the kitchen. She said goodbye to Ginny, then left the house. Hermione walked into the living room, where Ginny was cleaning up the room with magic. James was giggling in his stroller as he watched things float around the room.

"I see James is already getting quite accustomed to magic," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "He loves watching me and Harry do stuff like this. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Harry's finally given into us moving into Grimmauld Place."

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "We should be moved in, in time to celebrate James' first birthday there next month."

"Wow, already almost one year old," Hermione said, grinning at James.

"I know," Ginny said, chuckling, "Seems like yesterday I was in St. Mungo's giving birth to him."

"Right... childbirth," Hermione said, sitting down, "I know it is still at least two months away, but now that I've had the baby shower, it seems closer now than it has ever been. I just hope I'm ready when she comes."

"Hasn't Christine been preparing you for childbirth?" Ginny asked.

"She's given hints about it," Hermione said, "But I'm not exactly ready to hear all those details just yet. It's enough to be doing the breathing practices every day right now."

"I wouldn't be too worried, Hermione," Ginny said. "I thought it was going to be really tough too. It was a bit tough to actually go through the process, don't get me wrong. But when you hear stuff like you'll have to deal with anywhere between twelve and twenty hours of childbirth -"

"Twelve to twenty hours?" Hermione asked, her jaw dropping.

"Oh, guess you didn't know that part yet," Ginny said. "Oops. Well, actually it isn't as bad as it sounds. Really, for most of those hours, you won't even know it is happening. For hours, I was just dealing with the usual... you know, backaches, the occasional stomachache... you can't even feel the contractions at first. No, you don't really know it is happening until – well -"

"Until my water breaks," Hermione said. "Yeah, I knew about that part."

"That is where it gets interesting," Ginny said. "By then, you're actually almost done. Five hours after my water broke, I was holding James in my arms in the hospital bed."

"Five hours," Hermione breathed.

"Well," Ginny said, "That's the average time between your water breaking and when it is finally over. I won't lie and say it was too easy though. By the time it was over, I was sweating and exhausted."

"Yeah, I remember seeing you," Hermione said.

"Relax," Ginny said, "You'll be just fine. Christine is an excellent midwife. She'll teach you all you'll need to know. I only wish I had to deal with her. Mum insisted on helping me with it all."

"Yeah, well," Hermione said, "Like I said... I'm fine with being oblivious about too many of those details until I'm closer to my due-date."

"I don't blame you," Ginny said, "I was the same way when-"

She was interrupted by a brief cracking sound, followed by the front door opening.

"Honey," Ron said, his voice slow and drawing out, "I'm home."

"We're in the living room," Hermione said.

Ron walked into the living room, and Hermione noticed he was stumbling a little.

"Oh, hi, sis," Ron said, his speech slurring a bit, "Did I miss a party?"

"Ron, are you drunk?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, shaking his head back and forth and sitting down on the couch next to Hermione, "I'm perfectly fine. How are you?"

"He's not drunk," Ginny said.

"See," Ron said, "Sis agrees with me."

"Drunk is too nice of a term," Ginny chuckled, "He's sloshed."

"I'm not sloshed," Ron sad, "That's not even a word. Quit making up words."

"Hermione, I better takes James and go," Ginny said. "I need to check up on my husband."

"Harry's sloshed," Ron said, "I'm not sloshed, but Harry is."

"Brilliant," Ginny said, as she pushed James' stroller out of the living room.

"I'll see you soon, Ginny," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Good luck with Ron."

"I'll take care of him," Hermione said, grinning, as she heard the front door open and close.

"I'm the one who takes care of you," Ron said.

"How about we switch roles right now?" Hermione asked. "Just for a little while. How many drinks did you have?"

"I distinctly remember having three," Ron said, though he held up seven fingers.

"That's what I thought," Hermione said, sighing.

"You're sexy," Ron said, "Have I ever told you that?"

"I might remember you saying that," Hermione said.

"Well, you are," Ron said, "Even if you're fat."

"Since you're hammered, I'm going to ignore that," Hermione said.

"Can I get a little kiss?" Ron asked, "Just a smooch?"

Hermione grinned and kissed him on the lips, and Ron returned it, but only briefly. He fell back against the couch, and Hermione could hear low snoring coming from her husband. Hermione chuckled as she carefully stood up and headed for the kitchen to gather the ingredients for a hangover cure.

**This chapter was a bit difficult to write, because I really dislike writing parties. But I must say I love Ron's part in this chapter. I had fun with Ron's party, as well as sloshed!Ron afterward. **


	21. Familiar Faces And Flowers

**Chapter 21  
>Familiar Faces And Flowers<strong>

**Author's Note: Had a couple mistakes in the last chapter. Not very noticeable... like for example meant "gift-giving" and said "gift-wrapping". *****blushes***

**(Hermione's PoV – March 11****th****, 2006)**

When Hermione woke early the following morning, she headed for the bathroom, though she found that it was occupied. Ron was kneeling over the toilet bowl.

"I thought I was the one who was supposed to be nauseous these days," Hermione said, wrinkling up her nose when Ron made a retching sound.

"Yeah, yeah," Ron said, "Good morning to you too."

"My hang-over cure didn't work very well, did it?" Hermione asked, "You drank more than you let me know."

"Maybe," Ron said.

"Must have been some party," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ron said, "You should have seen Seamus. He was loads more pissed than I was. I bet Lavender was mad at him."

"Seamus was there?" Hermione asked. "I don't remember you inviting him."

"I didn't," Ron said.

"Then what was he –?" Hermione said, then stopped when she realized she already knew, "Oh, let me guess... Harry."

"Not telling," Ron said. "I promised Harry I wouldn't say anything. Wait – oops. Forget I said that."

"Just how many people were there?" Hermione asked.

"A fair few," Ron said.

"Uh-huh," Hermione said, "So I guess you're not going to work today?"

Ron opened his mouth to speak, then his eyes widened, and he went back to the toilet to retch.

"I'll take that as a no," Hermione said, "Should I tell Christine not to come over?"

"She can come over," Ron said, "I can find other things to do."

"You're not skiving off work to go out somewhere, Ronald," Hermione said. "If you have a hangover, you can stay home."

"I am going to stay home!" Ron said, "I can do stuff here too, you know."

"Then what are you going to do?" Hermione asked.

"It's the second week of March, right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Oh – I see what you're getting at."

"Usually you plant flowers in the flowerbed at this time of the year," Ron said. "But since you aren't in any position to do it, I am volunteering to do it this time."

"Sure, you can do that," Hermione said. "I was going to start decorating our daughter's room when I'm not doing anything with Christine."

"Brilliant," Ron said. "Hey, have you eaten anything yet?"

"No, I just got up," Hermione said.

"Right," Ron said, "I'm going to guess that you have to pee, and I'm in your way."

Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I'm done here," Ron said, flushing the toilet, "I'll go make you some breakfast. How about hotcakes? I already have the batter prepared."

"Sounds good," Hermione said.

"Brilliant," Ron said, again, "Should be done shortly."

Ron smiled, stood up and walked over to Hermione and kissed her softly.

"Urgh," Hermione said, wrinkling her nose, Your breath stinks."

"You're the expert on stinky breath after throwing up, Hermione," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, and Ron just chuckled as he grabbed a bottle of mouthwash and retreated from the bathroom.

After Hermione left the bathroom, she walked down the hall, then headed into their daughter's room. She walked over to the rocking chair, and sat down, then looked around the room, and tried to decide what she wanted the room to look like. She had quite a few different ideas as to what the room could look like, but some of those overlapped others, and wouldn't look right with her other ideas. This was going to be a bit tricky.

"Hermione?" Ron called out, "Breakfast is ready."

He appeared in the doorway, with a plate of hotcakes and sausage.

"Oh, there you are," he said, walking over to Hermione, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to decide what color I want the walls to be," Hermione said, taking the plate from Ron, "What do you think?"

"I thought you wanted to decorate the room on your own," Ron said.

"Oh, just give me your ideas," Hermione said, "And you better not say orange."

"I wasn't going to say that!" Ron said.

"Uh-huh," Hermione said, in an I-doubt-it voice, before taking a bite of sausage.

"What about red?" Ron asked.

"It would clash with her hair," Hermione said, "You know she's going to be a red-head. Your family's genes are too strong for her hair not to be red."

"Ginny's room had red paint," Ron said, "And it didn't clash with her hair."

"That's because she's too much of a tomboy, Ron," Hermione said. "Mostly because she grew up with you and your brothers."

"What's wrong with that?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Hermione said, "I just don't like to picture our daughter growing up like Ginny, do you?"

"Now that you mention it," Ron said, "No, neither do I."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Oh, nothing," Hermione said, "You're just being obvious."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked.

"You're already scared of what she might be like when she's older, aren't you?" Hermione replied. "The boys that come her way, and things like that."

"No, of course not!" Ron said, though he averted his eyes.

"Uh-huh," Hermione said.

"Okay," Ron said, "Maybe a little. It was something the mates were talking about yesterday during the party. Joking about how I'd have to deal with that when she goes off to Hogwarts."

"You realize that is quite a few years from now, Ronald," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows.

"I know that," Ron said, "It's just... I just know it is something we'll be dealing with."

"Then it is something we'll deal with when it comes," Hermione said.

"Then again," Ron said, "She is going to be your daughter."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"I'm just saying," Ron said, "She might be like you were at Hogwarts: going off to the library and the only girl in the whole school who would ever dream of reading _Hogwarts, A History_."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she grinned anyway. She could picture her daughter like that.

"What do you think the color of her room should be?" Ron asked.

"I was thinking having it like the sky," Hermione said, shrugging.

"Blue?" Ron asked, "That's a masculine color! You said it yourself you didn't want our daughter growing up like a tomboy."

"Blue can be a girl's color too, Ron," Hermione said, frowning. "It was the color of the paint in my room at home. And also it was the -"

"The color of your dress at the Yule Ball in our fourth year," Ron said.

Hermione grinned.

"I thought you might remember that," she said.

"Of course I do," Ron said, "I was staring at you the whole night, wasn't I?"

Hermione blushed.

"Fine," Ron said, "Sky blue it is. I can go buy some if you wish."

"What did I tell you about going out somewhere when you're skiving off of work?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione!" Ron said, "How else am I supposed to get the seeds for the flower bed? I can get the paint as well."

"I could do it," Hermione said.

"And leave me here all alone with Christine?" Ron asked, a smirk crossing his lips.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Fine, you win," she said, "But you're only going out for a shopping trip. Nothing more."

"Of course, Hermione!" Ron said.

"Okay," Hermione said, "You can go after breakfast."

"Thank you," Ron said. "You know, you really are going to be a brilliant mother."

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, Ron said, "Because you've been acting a lot like my Mum lately."

Hermione glared at Ron, and Ron just chuckled as he walked out of the room.

**(Ron's PoV)**

A couple minutes after Christine arrived, Ron left the house and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. He walked inside and headed across the room toward the backdoor that led toward Diagon Alley.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's skiving off of work today," a voice said behind Ron.

Ron turned and saw Harry sitting at one of the tables.

"Hangover get you too, mate?" Ron asked.

"Nah," Harry said, "Ginny and I both took the day off today. We're going to start moving things into Grimmauld Place in a little while. Ginny's at home with James until the babysitter gets there, and I thought I'd pick up a few things. What about you?"

"Doing a bit of shopping," Ron said. "Hermione's finally decided what color of paint she wants for our daughter's room, and I'm also going to the Herbology shop to pick up a few seeds for the flowerbed. This is usually the time where Hermione starts working on the flowerbed, and since she's not in any right state to do it, I'm volunteering for it."

"Well, I'm finished here if you want some help," Harry said, "I know you were never the one for Herbology."

"If I remember right, Harry," Ron said, "You were the preferred victim of the Venemous Tentacula, not me."

"Touche, mate," Harry said, grinning.

Harry put some a couple Galleons, as well as some Sickles and Knuts on the table as payment for his meal, and stood up. Ron and Harry walked through the back door, opened the barrier leading into Diagon Alley, and headed into the marketplace. After Pomona Sprout retired from teaching at Hogwarts, and Neville Longbottom was hired for the job, Sprout opened a Herbology shop in Diagon Alley called _Sprout's Seedy Sanctuary_. Ron and Harry headed toward the small shop and went inside. The shop looked like a cross between the greenhouses at Hogwarts, and a jungle Ron had once visited while searching for a criminal during his Auror duties.

"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley," Pomona said, "It's been a long time."

"Good morning, Professor," Harry said.

"I haven't been a Professor in a few years now, Harry," Pomona said, "Call me Pomona. What can I help you two gentlemen today with?"

"I need some seeds for a flowerbed," Ron said.

"Ah, perfect time of the year to start on a flowerbed," Pomona said. "Would like a few suggestions?"

"Sure," Ron said.

"I thought so," Pomona said, "I seem to remember you being not very knowledgeable when it comes to plants. Do you live in a wizarding village or are you in a Muggle neighborhood?"

"Muggle neighborhood," Ron said.

"Well, then," Pomona said, "I wouldn't suggest having too many magical plants. If you choose to have a few, I'd suggest charms to hide the plants from Muggles. But since you said you're going to be doing a flowerbed, I would suggest a few flowers, such as lilies and tulips. Rosalia bushes are also a good choice, but sometimes they can survive on their own during the winter if you covered them up. I'm offering a Start-of-Spring Sale on an assortment of seeds, and I'd suggest the variety pack for you. I'm sure your wife will love them. Hermione was always a bright bulb in my Herbology classes."

"The variety pack sounds good," Ron said.

"Excellent choice," Pomona said.

Pomona put together a box of different bags of seeds, and Ron paid for it

**(Hermione's PoV)**

"... and exhale," Christine said.

A couple hours after Ron left to go shopping, Hermione was sitting on the air mattress going through her breathing practices with Christine. Hermione exhaled in three pulsing breaths.

"Very good," Christine said, "You've gotten better at this."

"I've been practicing quite a bit," Hermione said. "It's hard to believe, but it is actually something Ron loves doing with me."

"That's good to hear," Christine said, "It means he'll be able to get through it with you when the big day comes. Sometimes the spouses find they have trouble with it. It's not uncommon for the husbands, or boyfriends, to not be too practiced in the art of it, and they usually find themselves on the floor before the whole thing is over."

"On the floor?" Hermione asked, "You mean they –?"

"I mean they faint, yes," Christine said.

"Oh, dear," Hermione said, "I thought that was just a myth."

"No," Christine said, "Unfortunately not."

"Well, I'll have to make sure Ron perfects his breathing then," Hermione said. "Especially since he did faint when I told him I was pregnant."

"He did?" Christine said, chuckling, "I didn't know that."

"Yep," Hermione said, "Didn't take too long to wake him back up, though."

"Well, then I guess we need to work extra hard to make sure he doesn't faint during your childbirth," Christine said, "A spouse's job during the whole process is just as important as the mother's job."

"What would you suggest?" Hermione asked.

"Other than having smelling salts on hand?" Christine asked, with a smirk, "Well... I have a few things in mind. When we get closer to the big day, if you still feel there is a chance that Ron could faint during the process, tell me. I have a couple potion recipes handy that can prevent that if they are needed."

"Well, thank you," Hermione said.

"No problem at all," Christine said, "Now... I think we're done with those practices today, if you think you are."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Besides, I think I need to use the little witch's room. That's the fourth time already today."

"That is quite normal," Christine said, as she helped Hermione off the mattress, "Your baby is going to put on weight before it is time for her to be born. That will be quite the hassle on your bladder."

"Wonderful," Hermione said, sighing, before she retreated off toward the bathroom.

When Hermione finished up, she left the bathroom, and heard a crack nearby. When she headed toward the front of the house, and walked outside, Ron was over by the flowerbed. Two buckets of periwinkle-blue paint were sitting on the front step.

"Finally," Hermione said, "You've been gone for two hours."

"Sorry," Ron said, "Do you know how hard it is to find the right type of paint you wanted? I couldn't even find it in Diagon Alley, so I had to go around to Muggle home improvement stores. I also picked up some paintbrushes and a new shovel and some other stuff for the flowerbed."

"Good," Hermione said, "I just finished up with the breathing class for today, and Christine has offered to help me paint the room in a little while. I could help you with the flowerbed if you wish."

"I told you, Hermione," Ron said, "I'm volunteering for this part. Let me do it."

"Fine," Hermione said, "Have fun."

"Thanks," Ron said, as he took a tarp off of a row of bushes, "Oh, Hermione, look."

Hermione walked toward the bushes.

"A few flowers survived the winter," Ron said.

Ron grinned and picked one from the bush, then walked over to Hermione.

"This is for you," Ron said, putting the flower in Hermione's hand.

"Ah, how sweet of you," Hermione said, grinning.

As Ron walked back toward the bushes, Hermione looked at the flower. Her eyes widened, and as she held the small flower in her hand, a thought came to her head.

"Ron," Hermione breathed.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked, bolting up from his kneeling position, "The baby...?"

"No," Hermione said, "It's just – I think I just figured out our daughter's name."

"What?" Ron asked.

Ron walked over to Hermione, and she lifted up the flower and showed it to him.

"Rose?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded.

"You like it?" Hermione asked.

Ron smiled and hugged Hermione.

"I love it, Hermione," Ron said, "Rose it is. And the middle name?"

"Hmm... Marie," Hermione said, "Marie was my grandmother's name."

"Brilliant," Ron said, "I like it."

Ron picked up the rose from Hermione's hand and put it in her hair. He then kneeled down and put a hand on Hermione's stomach. Hermione grinned as she watched him.

"Rose Marie Weasley," he said, "What do you think?"

Hermione felt a small kick in her stomach.

"Oh, there's number ten for the morning," she said.

"I guess she likes her name," Ron said, grinning.

He stood back up, and put his arms around Hermione.

"And you?" he asked her.

"I love it," Hermione said, nodding.

"Me too," Ron said, smiling.

Hermione smiled and leaned toward him and kissed him softly on the lips.

-  
><em>What's in a name? That which we call a Rose. By any other name would smell as sweet <em>

_- Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare _


	22. Pricks Like A Thorn

**Chapter 22  
>Like A Thorn<strong>

**Edit: Sorry, had to re-upload this chapter. As I was reading this, I realize I made a mistake a bit way through it.**

_Is love really tender? I think it's too rough, too rude, too rowdy, and it pricks like a thorn._  
><em>- Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare<em>

**(Hermione's PoV – March 26****th****, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 32 Weeks)**

During Hermione's scheduled doctor's appointments, Ron usually accompanied her to the hospital, but that wouldn't be happening this morning. Ron was busy investigating a suspected break-in into one of the Ministry's more important departments. However, this wasn't too troublesome for Hermione. Christine had immediately offered to go in Ron's place.

At nine-thirty that morning, Hermione and Christine were waiting in a hospital room waiting for Dr. Sterling to come in. Christine was currently using the restroom, while Hermione was putting on her hospital gown.

"Thank you for coming with me, Christine," Hermione said.

"No problem," Christine said, her voice muffled a bit behind the closed door.

The door opened and Christine walked back out.

"Besides," she said, "I wanted to meet this Muggle doctor who would be delivering your baby."

"He's wonderful, I assure you," Hermione said, "I don't know what I'd do without Dr. Sterling."

Christine looked up at Hermione, and her eyes went wide.

"Did – did you say Dr. Sterling?" Christine asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, slowly, "Why? Is something the matter?"

"No!" Christine said, quickly, "No matter! Probably nothing."

Hermione noticed that Christine was averting her eyes.

"Christine," Hermione said, "Do you -"

Before Hermione could finish her question, however, the door to the room opened. Dr. Sterling walked in.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs – oh," Dr. Sterling said, "I see you came without your husband today."

"Work needed him," Hermione said.

"Who is this?" Dr. Sterling asked.

"Oh," Hermione said, "This is my midwife."

She turned back to Christine to introduce her, and found that Christine's face was blocked by a Muggle magazine. Christine lowered the magazine slowly and smiled up at Dr. Sterling.

"Hello, Jonathan," Christine said, "Been a while."

"Christine," Dr. Sterling said, looking rather shocked to see Hermione's midwife, "It certainly has."

"You two know each other?" Hermione asked.

"We met at a convention years ago," Dr. Sterling said, "And it -"

"And it's a long story, Hermione," Christine said, blushing, "I would hate for such a story to intrude in the matters at hand."

"Oh, of course," Dr. Sterling said, "My apologies, Hermione."

Dr. Sterling walked over to the note-board of paper and looked at it.

"Well," Dr. Sterling said, "I see you have come up a name for your daughter, Hermione."

"Yes," Hermione said, "Rose Marie."

"'That which we call a Rose'," Dr. Sterling said.

"'By any other name would smell as sweet'," Hermione finished, raising her eyebrows.

"You know your Shakespeare," Dr. Sterling said, smiling.

Across the room, Christine rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Okay," Dr. Sterling said, "My nurse, Judy, will be in shortly with the ultrasound to check on your daughter's weight and length. For now, we'll go through the routine check-up. First off, is there any questions you have concerning your health?"

"Actually, yes," Hermione said. "When I woke up this morning, I felt cramps in my groin area. But when I sat up, they were gone. And I was wondering what the problem was?"

"Are you aware of what is known as Braxton Hicks?" Dr. Sterling asked.

"No," Hermione said.

"I'm sure your midwife is," Dr. Sterling said, "Am I right, Christine?"

"Yes, I am completely aware of it, Dr. Sterling," Christine said. "Hermione, you should have told me about this."

"I would have," Hermione said, "but I thought it might have just been cramps. Ron and I – er, well – let's just say we've been quite energetic lately in our evening bedroom activities, and I thought the cramps were a sign of that telling me we should slow down."

"No," Dr. Sterling said, "What you felt was your earliest preview of what you'll be dealing with during the childbirth process."

"Contractions," Christine said.

"Wait," Hermione said, "I thought I still had at least a month and a half before -"

"It's completely normal, Hermione, I assure you," Dr. Sterling said, "They're not actually contractions. It is just your body preparing you for childbirth. This process will take the rest of your pregnancy."

"So," Hermione said, "How do I know if they are faux contractions or the real thing? I mean, I'm going to be dealing with the real thing before too long."

"You've already answered that question," Dr. Sterling said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"You said when you sat up, from what I assume was a laying down position," Dr. Sterling said, "that the pain was gone, right?"

"Sure," Hermione said, "Oh – you mean -"

"If you change positions and move around a bit," Dr. Sterling said, "these faux contractions, as you put it, will ease up. If they don't ease up – well, then, you know you're close. Fortunately that won't happen for a while, if your baby is going to come when it is due. And given that you've been healthy throughout your whole pregnancy, you have nothing to worry about."

"Oh," Hermione said, "Okay."

"Hermione, don't worry," Christine said, "When your due-date comes around, either me or your mother will be with you at any one time of the day. Both of us know the difference between real and faux contractions, and we know what to look out for. You don't have to worry about those pesky movements in your groin being mistaken for the real thing."

"Christine's right," Dr. Sterling said, "If I remember correctly, she knows what she's doing as much as I do."

"I'd say I know more than you," Christine said, narrowing her eyes, "Given the fact that I have two children."

Dr. Sterling opened his mouth to retort, but a sudden belch from Hermione interrupted him.

"Oh, pardon me," Hermione said, covering her mouth.

"I see gas is daily routine for you, Hermione," Dr. Sterling said, as he went back to his notes.

"It stopped there for a while," Hermione said, "But it has come back over the past couple of days."

"I can see that," Dr. Sterling said, "My suggestion is instead of three big meals a day, breakfast, lunch and supper, aim for six smaller meals a day. Almost like snacks during the day instead of a big meal. Usually seems to work."

"I'm sure my husband would thank you for that advice," Hermione said, chuckling.

"What about – if I may be blunt – leakage in your breasts?" Dr. Sterling asked, "Has this occurred lately?"

"Yes, actually," Hermione said, "Over the past couple of days it has."

"Completely normal," Dr. Sterling said, "Nothing to worry about. It is the early stages of what is referred to as breast-milk. It means you'll be ready to feed your baby right from the source when it is born."

Hermione nodded. Dr. Sterling continued through the rest of the check-up. After which, he gave Hermione a good bill of health.

"I'll just leave you for now," he said, "Judy should be here with the ultrasound very soon. Good day, Hermione... Christine."

Hermione smiled and Dr. Sterling left the room.

"Oh, bloody hell and Merlin's baggy Y-Fronts," Christine said, sighing audibly.

"What, may I ask, was that all about?" Hermione asked, looking over her shoulder. "What is going on between you and Dr. Sterling?"

"Nothing!" Christine said. "Anymore."

"Anymore?" Hermione asked.

"Okay, fine," Christine said, "Years ago... like seven or eight, I went to a Muggle convention to try and learn the difference between Healer techniques and those used by Muggles. Dr. Sterling was there, giving lectures. Let's just say... he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, so I decided to see what else he knew about the line of work. I was very curious back then. I was desperate to get into the career. Little did I know that back then Dr. Sterling was – well – he let's just say he wasn't too far up the food chain from the male version of a scarlet woman."

Hermione's eyes widened and she hid a snicker with her hand.

"Oh, he seems to have changed now," Christine said. "Not completely I see. Still giving off his Shakespeare one-liners. I didn't even know who William Shakespeare was until I met Jonathon Sterling. Soon – well – soon, even I was falling for those one-liners of his."

"Were you two an item?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"No!" Christine said, scoffing. "Well – okay, yes. For a little while. Unfortunately, I didn't like him enough to tell him about my – er – magical history, and I had to break it off with him. I forgot about Jonathon, after I met the man who is now my husband. Now it seems he's found a way back into my life."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said.

"Oh, you didn't know," Christine said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Hermione asked.

"No," Christine said. "Absolutely not. To be honest, I'm very glad he is your doctor. I trust him completely with delivering your child."

Suddenly, the door opened again, and the nurse, Judy walked in, with the ultrasound machine in tow.

"Good morning, Hermione," Judy said.

Hermione smiled. Judy sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"I heard a rumor from Dr. Sterling," Judy said. "It seems your daughter has a name?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "Rose Marie."

"And a beautiful name, it is," Judy said, "How about we check up on the little flower?"

Hermione nodded and laid back on the bed. Soon, the ultrasound machine was on and Hermione's baby was on the screen. The baby was about in the same position it had been, with its head at the southern-most end of the womb. Hermione also noted that the baby was no longer transparent, as it usually was.

"Same position as last month," Judy said, "That is very good. It means it is used to its surroundings and won't move around too much before it is ready for delivery. I'm going to guess that constant bathroom breaks are still routine for you?"

"Oh, yeah," Hermione said.

"As is to be expected, of course," Judy said, then pushed a few buttons on the machine, as a measuring ruler showed up across it the screen, "Well, your baby is almost nineteen inches so far."

"Explains the tummy size," Hermione said.

Judy chuckled lightly.

"Rose is right on schedule for the predicted length," Judy said, "She's also weight somewhere around four pounds, which is good. Over the next month and a half between now and your due-date, she'll put on some more weight and should be around eight to nine pounds when she's born, which is quite healthy for a newborn. You might find you'll put on a couple more pounds as well, but you'll lose those before too long. Okay, given the size of your baby, I'm going to guess that you have no problems with feeling those nudges and kicks, am I right?"

"It happens very often, yes," Hermione said, "Christine, my midwife, who accompanied me today, asked me to count them, and I started doing that for a couple weeks now. At least twenty nudges or kicks a day is pretty common."

"Good," Judy said, smiling to Christine, "I like to see a midwife who knows what she is doing."

Christine grinned.

"If these nudges and kicks decrease by too much at anytime," Judy said, "You need to notify your midwife, or the hospital immediately. This is just precautionary to warn you, of course. Usually when your baby is awake, it is very active, which you seem to be used to, I'm sure."

Hermione nodded.

"Excellent," Judy said, "I believe that is all. Unfortunately I cannot suggest a ultrasound photograph today, because your baby is at that stage where its hearing may be a bit tender, and the sound the machine makes for the photograph could be harmful."

"I understand," Hermione said.

"You'll probably have two more check-ups before your due date, Hermione," Judy said, "Just so we can be sure the baby is still in its same position, which will ensure a safe delivery. So I'll see you next month."

Hermione nodded. Judy said goodbye and towed the machine outside of the room. Hermione changed back into her normal clothes, and she and Christine headed out.

-  
><strong>Apologies for this chapter being shorter than normal. My bigger plans for the next part of my story doesn't happen until the following month, but I figured I needed something before that, so this was just a bit of filler, and not too important to the story. Dr. Sterling and Christine's shared past probably won't be explored anymore, and was only meant for this chapter.<strong>

Hope you liked it!


	23. Brainstorms, Diaries and Owl Post

**Chapter 23  
>Brainstorms, Diaries and Owl Post<strong>

**Edit: Sorry... had to re-upload this chapter. Had to fix a mistake.**

**(Hermione's PoV – April 15****th****, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 34 Weeks)**

As Dr. Sterling had warned, the faux contractions, otherwise known as the Braxton Hicks contractions, were almost an everyday thing. They felt like cramps and the only danger to Hermione was that they were a complete annoyance. Each lasted anywhere between fifteen and thirty seconds before they stopped. They were just another routine everyday thing, along with the nausea, constant bathroom breaks, and gas. The latter, however was less common, thanks to the diet of six small snack-like meals Hermione had gone through every day since her last appointment. At first, Hermione thought the more meal-times with less food would annoy Ron after a while, but he seemed used to it after a few days.

A month after she started decorating Rose's room, Hermione was almost finished. Because it was an exhaustive task, thanks to the pregnancy symptoms and her belly growing another inch in the past month, which added a bit more weight onto her, the painting process took a total of three weeks to get finished. After seeing how tired she was, Ron had begged Hermione to let him help her. Hermione wouldn't let Ron help her with the painting, but he was able to help with other things. The baby furniture had to be temporarily moved out while Hermione was painting, and for a while, it was scattered all over the house. After the painting was finished, Ron had moved the furniture back into the room. The crib would only be a temporary resident in the bedroom, though, and would be moved into Ron and Hermione's bedroom once the baby was born, so it would be easier to get to her whenever she needed something.

Over the past couple of days, Hermione had found new routine to spending her days cooped up at home. While she sat in the rocking chair in Rose's bedroom, after seeing Ron off to his Auror duties, and waiting for Christine to come by, Hermione would get herself adjusted to the newly decorated bedroom. She would look around at the walls, now painted in periwinkle blue. During the time in which Rose was awake inside the womb, Hermione would also count the kicks and nudges against her stomach, and she would talk to Rose. Her favorite subject to Rose was talking about how far she had come in decorating the bedroom.

That morning, as she thought of different additions to add to the room, Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by the front door to the house opening and closing.

"Hermione?" Christine called out.

"I'm in Rose's bedroom, Christine," Hermione replied.

"Again?" Christine asked, as she appeared in the doorway, holding her bag she always carried with her.

"Something's missing in here," Hermione said, "And I'm just trying to figure out what."

"Hermione, the room is beautiful," Christine said, "You've done a very good job."

"I know," Hermione said, "it just needs something more."

"Well, I could suggest one thing," Christine said, walking past Hermione and over to the one window in the room. "Curtains!"

"I had already thought about that," Hermione said.

"Well, they're definitely needed," Christine said, "The sun shines right in here. I mean, look... there's clouds in the sky, and even then, the sun shines right in -"

Hermione gasped and stood up, grinning. Christine turned around and looked a little worried.

"Are you okay?" Christine asked.

"I had a brainstorm!" Hermione said.

"Well, I hope that's all you had," Christine said, "Because you scared me there for a moment."

"Oh, I'm fine!" Hermione said, waving her hands dismissively, "No, I mean – Christine, you're a genius."

"What did I do now?" Christine asked.

"What does this room look like to you?" Hermione asked, "When you look at it?"

"A room set for a beautiful little girl?" Christine asked.

"I mean the walls," Hermione said. "The color – periwinkle blue. It looks like the sky, right?"

"Sure," Christine said, nodding.

"And the sky is pretty lonesome without what?" Hermione asked, "Clouds and a sun."

"I wasn't aware you were trying to make your daughter into a nature nut, Hermione," Christine said, grinning. "I mean – I know her name is Rose, but -"

"Funny," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "No, it is perfect. Christine, how can I ever repay you?"

"You could accept my gift I brought for you today," Christine said.

Hermione's eyes brightened, and Christine reached into her bag and pulled out a small book. She handed it to Hermione, who opened it up.

"Christine," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows questioningly, "There's nothing in here."

"Not yet there isn't," Christine said, "It is a diary."

"I don't do diaries," Hermione said.

"Well, this isn't that type of diary," Christine said, "It's better. Look, it is no secret that you talk to your unborn child a lot these days."

"So?" Hermione asked, "It eases my mind."

"Yes, I can understand that," Christine said, "But between you and me, there's really no point – no, wait a moment, hear me out – there's no point unless it is something Rose can cherish. I mean... do you honestly think she's going to remember you talking to her before she was born?"

"No," Hermione said, "Of course not. That isn't really important, though."

"So make it important, Hermione," Christine said, "Instead of talking to Rose, write out these thoughts in this diary. Therefore, when Rose is older, she can read about what you were thinking about while you were pregnant with her. I did it for my daughter, and she loved it."

"You're sure?" Hermione asked.

"Hey, don't you trust me?" Christine asked.

"These days, you know me better than most people do," Hermione said, "Of course I trust you."

"Then give it a try," Christine said, "It's as simple as writing a letter to a friend. Only this is a letter to your daughter that she won't read for years."

"Kind of like a time capsule," Hermione said, nodding.

"A what?" Christine asked.

"It's a thing people use where -" Hermione said, then stopped herself. "Never mind, it's a Muggle thing. Anyway, I love this idea. Thank you, Christine."

"You're welcome," Christine said, "I'm going to assume you just ate breakfast shortly before I got here, right?"

Hermione nodded.

"Then we won't start do your breathing practices for a couple of hours," Christine said.

"Do we have to?" Hermione asked, "I'm running short on breath as it is these days."

"Really?" Christine asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Hmm," Christine said, "Might have to put a stop to those classes for a few days then."

"Would that be dangerous to cut down on those right now?" Hermione asked.

"When was the last time you had a head-rush during your breathing practices?" Christine asked.

"Not for a week at least," Hermione said, shrugging.

"Then you're fine," Christine said. "You seem to have perfected the technique. For now, until you can control your breathing properly again, I suggest going back to meditation. In a few days, maybe a week or two, we'll get back into the routine, so it is familiar to you when the due-date comes."

"Meditation, it is," Hermione said.

"Great," Christine said, "By the way, has your Mum said when she's going to be temporarily moving in here?"

"Start of the month," Hermione said, nodding, "About the same time Ron's taking his temporary paternal leave from the Aurors."

"Hmm... okay," Christine said.

She smiled and walked out of the room. Hermione looked around the bedroom, then left and headed toward her own. She walked over to her desk and sat down, then searched for quill, ink and parchment. She found one, then decided she needed to write to Ron first before she started on the diary.

_Ron,_

_Can you pick up a bucket of yellow paint, and a bucket of white paint before you get home? Thinking about making Rose's room a bit more livelier. See you when you get home._

_Love,_  
><em>Hermione<em>

As soon as she finished, Pigwidgeon flew into the room.

"Nice timing, as always," Hermione said, grinning as she rolled up the parchment.

She tied the parchment to the owl's leg, then used her wand to open the window across the room. Pig hooted happily and flew out through the window. Hermione then opened the diary, and went to the first blank page. She stared at it for a moment, then started to write:

_To Rose Marie Weasley_  
><em>Date: April 15th, 2006<em>

_It feels strange to be writing a letter to you, when you are sleeping inside my melon-sized tummy at this very moment. There is a little over a month to go before I'll finally get to hold you in my arms, and at the moment I have very little idea as to what you'll look like and act like. I know, however, that you'll be as beautiful as the flower of your namesake._

_A good friend of mine gave this diary to me, and suggested I write letters to you. It will probably be a few years, from the current time I am writing this, before you're able to make sense of anything I am writing here._

_If you are ever upset with the choice of color of paint in your room, I give you permission to be mad at me for it. It is a color that I loved when I was young, and I was hoping it could possibly be yours too. But in the off-chance where you are nothing like me in personality, I apologize and will not be mad if you choose to paint it over with a new color, or cover it with posters of whatever new music, sport or other entertainment sensation is sweeping the wizarding, and/or Muggle world, at the moment you are reading this._

_By the time you read this, you may have a sister or brother, and I'm sure you'll probably find them annoying at times. But for now, as I am writing this, you are my first child, my baby girl. Please know that nothing can ever take away the joyous, exciting, and sometimes, strange and difficult experiences and changes I have gone through just waiting for your arrival in this world._

_If you happen to be reading this during a moment where you are grounded, after your father finds you doing something he disapproves of, or (if you're old enough for this) has given you a lecture after he's just seen you talking to a boy on Platform 9 ¾, please know that your father loves you, and he has loved you since – well – months before you even came into this world. I will never forget the look on his face when I told him that he would be a father, nor the look on his face when he realized we would be having a beautiful little girl._

_I sit here thinking of when you'll be reading this letter, and I know you'll be that beautiful young lady I am picturing in my mind as I write this. I love you with all my heart and soul._

_Mum_

Hermione smiled, and as she read over the letter, she wondered what her daughter would think when she read it. This was definitely something she would get used to doing. She opened a drawer in the desk, and put the diary inside, then walked out of the bedroom.

**(Ron's PoV – April 15****th****, 2006)**

"Oh, almost forgot, mate," Harry said, after taking a sip of his butterbeer, "James' first birthday party will be on Saturday."

"Kind of a late invitation," Ron said, "That is two days from now."

As he had done every day during work, for as long as he could remember, Ron was sitting at the Leaky Cauldron on his lunch break, with Harry. Ron was already halfway through his meal.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said. "Ginny and I weren't sure what we wanted the location of the party to be. Meaning at Grimmauld Place, or at the Burrow. Even with Kreacher keeping Grimmauld Place clean, there were still a few things that needed to be done in the house. Ginny's putting on a bit of weight, thanks to her pregnancy and you know how that is. Backaches and stuff. Her nausea and bathroom breaks are an everyday thing still. Of course, you know all about this."

"Right," Ron said, chuckling.

"Anyway," Harry said, "So between me and Kreacher, we've been working on making the house liveable again. So we can have the party there."

Ron nodded.

"If you're worried about getting something for James," Harry said, "Don't be. I already know your Mum's going to be spoiling James with gifts."

"It's not a gift I'm worried about, mate," Ron said, "It is how to get there and back home. Obviously Hermione can't apparate, and you know how violent the Knight Bus is when moving around town. I don't want Hermione or the baby to get hurt. I'd ask Hermione's parents, but they're already going to be doing enough for us in the next few weeks."

"Send an owl post to your father," Harry said, "Maybe he can take the car up and bring you and Hermione over."

"Yeah," Ron said, "I guess so. So how many weeks is Ginny at?"

"Eighteen," Harry said.

"Two more weeks until you can find out the gender," Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry said, sighing, "I know."

"Uh-oh," Ron said, raising his eyebrows, "What's wrong, mate?"

"Ginny's not sure she wants to know what the baby is yet," Harry said.

"Is this about her wanting a little girl?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said, shaking her head, "She's told me she'd be happy with another son, or a daughter. It's just... last time we found out straight away, you know. We went through that experience. Now she tells me -"

"She wants it to be a surprise," Ron guessed.

"Exactly," Harry said.

"What do you want to do?" Ron asked.

"That's the problem there, mate," Harry said. "I don't know."

"Well, you have two weeks to figure that out," Ron said.

Harry nodded. Ron popped the last bit of his popcorn chicken into his mouth.

"I think I know what I'm going to get for James for his birthday," Ron said.

"I told you," Harry said, "You don't have to get him anything. You need to save up your money for your daughter."

"It is no trouble at all," Ron said, "Besides, I'm heading to Diagon Alley anyway, since I need to get my parents to pick me and Hermione up on Saturday. And Hermione wants me to get a couple more buckets of paint, though I doubt I'll be able to find that in Diagon Alley. Apparently she has more ideas for Rose's room. Not surprising though. She's been sitting in that room everyday trying to figure out what else it needs. Sometimes I think maternity leave is getting to her."

"Oh, she'll be all right," Harry said, "Ginny went through the same thing. After a month into her maternity leave, she got very bored, and I would find her doing all sorts of things around the house."

"Wonderful," Ron said, sarcastically.

"You're doing paternity leave soon, right?" Harry asked, "So you can be around Hermione when it comes closer to the due-date."

"Yeah," Ron said, "starting near the beginning of the month. Better be off if I am going to get this stuff done before we have to get back to our Auror duties. I'll see you at the Ministry."

"See you there," Harry said.

Ron nodded and headed for Diagon Alley and Eeylop's.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – April 15<strong>**th****, 2006)**

Around four-o-clock in the afternoon, Hermione was outside in the front lawn watering the flowers, when Christine walked out of the house and toward her.

"If I said I needed to leave early today," Christine said, "Would you be fine until Ron gets home?"

"Yeah, of course," Hermione said, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's Boyd," Christine said, referring to her six-year old son. "Just received owl post saying he got in trouble in primary school. I'm sure it has to do something with his magic. He's been having more trouble than usual these days controlling it. He's so young, you know. I think he must have accidentally used magic at school. And of course the place is filled with Muggle students and teachers."

"Say no more," Hermione said, "You just go and do what you need to do. I'll be fine for an hour. My nausea is pretty calm today, so I was going to start on dinner for Ron and me anyway."

"Thank you," Christine said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione smiled, and Christine disapparated into thin air. Hermione finished up watering the plants, and headed inside and toward the kitchen. A little while later, as the Shepherd's Pie was baking in the oven, there was a tapping sound on the kitchen window. An eagle owl that looked mildly familiar was perched on the windowsill. Hermione opened the window, and allowed the eagle owl in. She untied the parchment and unfolded it, and recognized Draco Malfoy's writing. She started to read the letter:

_Ron and Hermione,_

_Thought I'd let you know that, as of ten-thirty last night, I am now the proud father of Scorpius Abraxas Malfoy. He's very healthy, and is nineteen inches in length, and weighs a little over nine pounds. He has these beautiful grey eyes that you can lose yourself in. Also, Astoria says he looks just like me, but I don't see it yet. Astoria's tired, though she's thrilled. She wanted to say hi, by the way._

_Also, I guess I should tell you that my parents visited St. Mungo's as well, and to my complete surprise, they welcomed their new grandson with open arms._

_Maybe after we get everything settled down and Scorpius is at home, we'll invite you two over here to see him. I hope your pregnancy is well, Hermione. I know when your day comes, you'll be as thrilled as I am._

_With respect,_  
><em>Draco Malfoy<em>

Hermione grinned and found a quill, ink and parchment and started writing:

_Draco and Astoria,_

_Congratulations, you two! I'm sure Scorpius is quite the handsome little boy. Ron's still at work at the moment, and will probably be home soon, but I'm sure he's just as happy for you as I am._

_Happy to hear that Lucius and Narcissa are taking the whole thing well. It is about time. I'm sure they'll love their grandson as much as they love you, Draco. _

_I'm so happy for you! Again, congratulations! Ron and I would be very happy to see him. Maybe we can find some time after my daughter is born, and you can meet her as well._

_Hermione_

Hermione read over the letter and, when she decided she was pleased with it, she attached the piece of parchment to the owl's leg and it flew off back out the window. Hermione smiled as she watched the owl fly off into the sky.

Draco and Astoria... proud parents of a beautiful little boy.

As she thought about the new addition to the Malfoy family, Hermione realized that her own due-date now seemed closer than ever.


	24. James' First Birthday

**Chapter 24  
>James' First Birthday<strong>

**Author's Note: I've had readers ask me about the relationship between Ron and Hermione, and Draco and Astoria. I know it seems that Draco basically ignored them in the epilogue in Deathly Hallows, but I like to think that, because they've grown and matured, there is some sense of unity between them. Maybe they're not friends, but acquaintances now... far more than enemies or rivals they once were back in Hogwarts. They can look over some of the petty things from their teenage years. I hope that clears up why I've given them some connections to each other, such as notifying them of exciting news, like what happened at the end of the previous chapter.**

**Also, I totally forgot Scorpius' middle name was revealed as Hyperion, and I used Abraxas. I apologize for that. **

**(Hermione's PoV – April 17****th****, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: End of 34 Weeks)**

_Dear Rose,  
>Date: April 17<em>_th__, 2006_

_As I write this, while I'm laying in bed, trying to wake up and get ready for a fresh new day, I realize it is already my second letter to you in three days. The friend I mentioned in my first letter thought I should make this a routine. I'm sure she thinks I'm rather annoyed at this whole concept, but to be honest, I wonder why I hadn't thought of this weeks, or months, ago. _

_Today is your cousin James' first birthday, and the only thing I can think about right now is what you'll be like on your first birthday. James already said his first word two months ago, and it makes me wonder what your first word will be. I have dibs on Mama, because the only thing I can think of right now is how much I'll be spoiling you by that time. _

_I can hear your father noisily wrapping James' birthday presents in the living room. I can tell he is doing it by hand instead of by magic, because he was never any good at wrapping presents by hand, and he always utters some choice swear words, during the process, even when he thinks I can't hear him. I really hope that is not a trait you inherit from him. Proper ladies shouldn't swear. _

_Anyway, he's wrapping your cousin's birthday presents in a separate room, because he doesn't want me to know what he bought for James. I already know what it is, though. I wasn't too surprised when I found out. Your father is trying to turn your cousin into a Quidditch nut before he can even say the word broomstick. I can't imagine your Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny being too unhappy about this though. They are as big of Quidditch enthusiasts as your father is. _

_Draco and Astoria Malfoy sent your father and I a picture of baby Scorpius via owl post last night. The picture is on my desk right now, and I find myself looking at it from time to time. It's a moving picture, and he's smiling up from his mother's arms. He is just so cute! He has the most adorable smile. I have to agree with Astoria: he looks just like his Daddy. Though he probably gets those smiles from his mother. She's loads more cheerful than his father is. But I'm sure he has loads to be cheerful for right now._

_I'm wondering if you and Scorpius will become friends while in Hogwarts. You and him will be in the same year, so it is possible. I'm not sure how your father would react, though, to you being friends with a Malfoy. He never got along very well with Scorpius' father when they were students in Hogwarts. To be honest, neither did I. I'm surprised we get along so well right now. But that is a whole other story. Maybe you'll have heard it by the time you read this. _

_Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Molly are going to be here in about three hours so, to pick your father and I up. So I guess I better end this, and get up and start my day before I have go over to your Uncle Harry's house for James' party._

_I'll probably be writing a lot more letters like this one over the next few weeks, so I'm sure you'll have a lot of letters to look forward to._

_Love,_  
><em>Mum<em>

Hermione read over the letter, and when she was pleased, she closed the diary, and carefully stood up from the bed. She placed the diary in the desk, and started to get dressed for the day. When she finished, she left the bedroom and headed toward the front of the house. The smells wafting in from the kitchen indicated that Ron was in the process of making french toast.

"Finished wrapping the gifts?" Hermione asked Ron, as she walked over to Ron and kissed him on the cheek.

"Yep," Ron said. "Don't ask me what they are, though."

"I think it is rather obvious what we're getting him, Ronald," Hermione said, "Given that the packaging takes the shape of the gift."

"I knew you peeked at the gifts!" Ron said, sighing.

"What's the big deal?" Hermione said, chuckling, "They're not my gifts."

"I don't need you telling James what it is before he gets it," Ron said.

"I would never do that," Hermione said. "Besides, I'm not sure he'd understand what it is anyway."

"He might!" Ron said, "He's quite clever for his age. Harry told me yesterday he crawls everywhere, and he's very close to walking on his own."

"I won't tell him," Hermione said, "I promise. Besides, I can only tell what the big one is. I don't know what is in the box."

"I'm not saying anything," Ron said.

Hermione grinned and sat down at the small table. Ron had modified the table a couple weeks ago when Hermione's stomach had gotten too large for her to sit there comfortably. Hermione looked up at the clock across the room to check the time, then realized she couldn't see the numbers very well.

"Oh, wonderful," Hermione said, sarcastically.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"My eye-sight is a little off," Hermione said, blinking.

"Maybe you're still tired," Ron said.

"No, I'm fine," Hermione said.

"Will you be okay to go to the party?" Ron asked.

"I'll be fine, Ron!" Hermione repeated, louder this time.

"Okay," Ron said, raising his spatula-free hand in surrender.

Hermione frowned and shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she said, sighing, "I didn't mean to lash out like that."

"Hermione, I understand completely," Ron said, "I know how much you're dealing with right now."

"I know you do," Hermione said, "And I thank you for having to put up with me."

"You say that like you think it is something that is painful for me to have to go through," Ron said.

"So it isn't something painful for you to experience?" Hermione asked, a grin crossing her lips.

Ron shook his head and cast a spell on the stove, so that the french toast would fix itself. He then walked over to Hermione and kneeled down in front of her. She smiled when he kissed her on the forehead.

"Absolutely not," Ron said. "There hasn't been one moment out of any of this that I have regretted going through with you. To be honest, if you wanted to be in Ginny's position, and go through this whole again just months after our daughter is born, I wouldn't say 'no' to it."

"I'm sure we can wait for a while to go through this again," Hermione said, smiling.

"Either way," Ron said. "I'd put up with the nausea, the hormonal rage attacks, the..."

"The weeks without sex?" Hermione suggested.

"Even that," Ron said, laughing. "I'd put up with all of it all over again. Because it is something we're going through together, and I'd never, not even for one second, ask you to go through it alone."

Hermione smiled, and Ron took her hands in his.

"There's about five weeks left to go," Ron said, "give or take a couple of days, until your due-date, and I know it will be the toughest for you to go through. I have two weeks to go until I take off work for paternal leave, less than two weeks even, and then I'm focused on you. Hell, if you asked me to, I'd write a letter to my boss, and say I need to take two more weeks off."

"You don't have to do that," Hermione said.

"I know," Ron said, "But I would."

Hermione smiled and leaned toward Ron and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I love you," she said, "More than you could possibly imagine."

"I love you too," Ron said, "More than I could possibly deserve."

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"I'm joking," Ron said, grinning, "I know how much I deserve you."

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron again. Ron then stood up and walked back over to the stove.

-  
>About three and a half hours later, Hermione, Ron and his parents arrived at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. As they walked into the house, the house-elf, Kreacher, met them at the door.<p>

"Kreacher has just finished preparing the couch in the master living room for you, ma'am," Kreacher grunted softly, but kindly, to Hermione. "Kreacher hopes you will find it most comfortable."

"I'm sure it will be very relaxing, Kreacher," Hermione said, smiling, "Thank you."

"Now if you excuse Kreacher," Kreacher said, "Kreacher must prepare Master James' birthday cake if it is to be ready after the meal."

Kreacher bowed slightly and turned, then walked down the hallway and toward the kitchen.

"I'm going to go see if I can be any help with lunch," Mrs. Weasley said.

Hermione and Ron made their way down the hallway. Hermione could hear what sounded like the laughter of Teddy and Victoire from somewhere on the second floor.

"Teddy," Harry said, from the doorway of living room, "Don't play too roughly with Victoire now."

"We're just playing hide-and-seek, Harry!" Teddy's voice called out.

"Still don't let Victoire get lost!" Harry said.

"I won't, I promise," Teddy said.

When he saw Ron and Hermione, Harry waved.

"You made it," he said, "Good. Ron, Arthur, the presents go in the first bedroom upstairs. Just look for the locked door. Easy enough to get into for those of us who know magic, but the kids can't get into it."

"Since when did Teddy and Victoire start getting along so well?" Hermione asked, as Ron and his father made their way upstairs.

"Today, I guess," Harry said, shrugging, "Merlin knows how long that will last."

"Victoire must still be timid around boys," Hermione said, with a smirk.

"That's a good thing, according to Bill," Harry said, grinning, "How are you?"

"Still pregnant," Hermione said.

"I thought that was Ron's line," Harry said, with a smirk, "Anyway, you're not the last to arrive, believe it or not. George, Angelina and little Fred are late... again. Percy and Audrey might come later. Percy said something about Audrey having an appointment with a Healer today."

"Lovely," Hermione said, "I have another one of those in a few days with my doctor, and then yet another one at the start of the month."

"And once again when your daughter finally comes," Harry said.

"Finally," Hermione said, grinning.

"Well, I'm sure you want to get off your feet," Harry said, motioning toward the living room.

Hermione smiled and walked, or rather waddled, into the living room. Across the room, Louis was asleep in his stroller, and Dominique was playing with James in the play-pen. Hermione waved to Bill who had one eye on his children from the love-seat he was sitting in, and she went over to one of the couches and sat down carefully.

"So what is this I hear about the son of Lucius Malfoy becoming a father himself?" Bill asked.

"It's true," Harry said, as he sat down in one of the chairs, "His son was born on Wednesday. Hard to believe... Draco Malfoy, a father."

"I wouldn't say that, Harry," Hermione said, shaking her head, "Draco has what it takes to be a wonderful father."

"I hope so," Harry said, "For Scorpius' sake."

"Scorpius," Bill said, snickering, "Quite the name."

""I think it is kind of cool," Ron said, as he walked around the couch Hermione was on and sat next to her, "Not as cool as Rose, though."

"It's kind of odd to think about, you know," Bill said, "A Weasley and a Malfoy going to be in the same years at Hogwarts once again."

"And a Potter," Harry added, "who is also technically a Weasley."

"Well, if we're lucky they won't have to relive their parents' rivalry in Hogwarts," Hermione said.

"Our daughter friends with Scorpius?" Ron asked, glancing to Hermione, "No thank you."

"Oh, please don't make our daughter enemies with Scorpius before she's even born, Ronald," Hermione said, sighing.

"Yes, dear," Ron said.

Harry snickered, but stopped when Hermione quelled him with a look.

"Harry!" Ginny called from the kitchen, "Can you go get the good china from the basement? I don't think we unpacked it yet."

"Can't you summon it, dear?" Harry asked.

"Not if it is packed away, dear," Ginny said.

"Watch James for me," Harry said to Hermione, Ron and Bill as he stood up, "I have go help my hormonal wife."

"Don't let her hear you call her that," Hermione said.

"Yeah, thanks, Hermione," Harry said, as he retreated from the living room.

"You never called me your 'hormonal wife' before, have you?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes at Ron.

"Of course not, dear," Ron said.

"Strangely enough, I believe you," Hermione said.

Ron grinned. Hermione put her head on Ron's shoulder and stared at the roaring fire across the room.

"Bet you can't wait to get that child out of you," Bill said, chuckling.

"Only because I want her in my arms," Hermione said, smiling as she massaged her belly.

"Five weeks, give or take a few days," Ron said.

"Seems like an eternity," Hermione said.

Ron chuckled and Hermione smiled as she felt his lips on her head.

"I'm going to go see if Ginny needs any help," Hermione said.

"She's probably got enough help with Fleur, Mum and Kreacher," Ron said.

"I don't mind," Hermione said, "I need to walk around a bit anyway."

Ron nodded and helped Hermione stand up. Hermione kissed him on the cheek, then waddled into the kitchen.

"Need anything, Hermione?" Ginny asked, "We'll be sitting down to lunch once Harry finds the dishes. If you're thirsty, Mum just put a pot of tea on the stove."

"My own brew," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, "I just needed to walk around and do something. I've been sitting too much these days. Just give me something to do."

"You can help me with the silverware and glassware," Ginny said, smiling.

Hermione nodded and walked over to the cupboard. She carefully took out handfuls of silverware and put them in a small basket, and followed Ginny into the dining room.

"So a month left until the big day, huh?" Ginny asked.

"Give or take a few days, yeah," Hermione said, setting silverware down in front of the chairs on the table.

"Exciting," Ginny said.

"Yes," Hermione said, "and terrifying all at the same time."

"You'll do fine," Ginny said, "You're quite the strong woman, you know."

"I know," Hermione said. "And Ron will be with me too during it all. I'm not worried."

"Well, with everything you and Ron have been together through in the past," Ginny said, "This should be a walk in the park for you."

"I wouldn't say that," Hermione said, shrugging.

"Oh, I'm definitely not trying to downplay it, Hermione," Ginny said, "You know I speak from experience with these things."

"Is it any easier the second time around?" Hermione asked.

"It has its moments," Ginny said, shrugging, "But now I know what I'm dealing with."

Hermione smiled and was saved a response when Harry walked into the dining room carrying a large box with him.

"You found them," Ginny said.

"Were there ever any doubts?" Harry asked, grinning.

-  
>After lunch, Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the guests all gathered in the living room; Harry was holding James on his lap. Ginny walked in carrying a chocolate cake, and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to James, who was giggling and cooing as they did. Ginny blew out the one candle on the cake after they were finished, and James clapped once.<p>

After everyone had their fill of cake, Harry and Ron went upstairs, and returned a few minutes later, carrying all the presents for James.

Harry opened Ron and Hermione's presents first, as James watched on Ginny's lap. Harry chuckled when he unwrapped the toy broomstick.

"This is brilliant," Harry said.

"I remembered that picture of you on a broomstick like that one with your parents," Ron said, "And I thought you might like to share that same experience with James."

Ron caught Hermione's eye and she grinned.

"I think James will definitely love this," Harry said.

"Maybe not till he's a bit older, I think," Ginny said.

Ron and Hermione's other present for James was a couple of toddler Chudley Cannon outfits, complete with jerseys and sweat pants. James seemed to love them.

**(Ron's PoV)**

The party lasted for a couple hours, due to all the conversation that had gone on. Soon, Hermione, Ron and his parents were the only guests left in the house, other than Teddy, who would be sleeping over and would go back to Andromeda's house the following day.

"Quite a brilliant first birthday party for James," Ron said, as he watched Harry put James in his crib.

"Yeah, it was," Harry said.

"Hard to believe you've only been a father for a year, eh?" Ron asked.

"Seems longer sometimes," Harry said, nodding.

Harry turned on the mobile, and the toy Quidditch players started flying around in a circle. Harry pat James on the head.

"Good night, buddy," Harry whispered, "Happy birthday."

Ron followed Harry out of the room.

"What about you?" Harry asked him, as he shut the door to James' bedroom, "Ready to be a father, mate?"

"Counting down the days," Ron said, grinning. "Still weird to think about though. You know, a year ago, Hermione and I hadn't even started talking about having children yet? She was so focused on her work, that I didn't even want to bring up a conversation like that. She was the one to bring it up on our anniversary last year. Course it took almost three more months for it to go into effect."

"That's right," Harry said, "your anniversary coming up again, huh?"

"First week of May," Ron said, nodding.

"Anything special planned?" Harry asked.

"Not yet," Ron said, "I'll think of something. Did I tell you I'm taking my paternal leave off at the start of the month?"

"No, but I guessed you would," Harry said.

"Know what you're going to do without me?" Ron said. "I mean, we're partners in the Auror department, and I'll be gone for a couple of months."

"Might move down to a low-risk part of the Auror department for a while," Harry said, "So I can focus on James, as well as Ginny's pregnancy."

"I'm sure Ginny wouldn't mind that at all," Ron said.

"Nope, probably not," Harry said.

As Ron and Harry walked down the hall, the bathroom door opened and Hermione walked out.

"Ready to go?" Ron asked.

Hermione tried to respond, but a yawn interrupted her.

"I guess that's a yes," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione nodded, and Ron took her hand and they walked down the stairs. Soon, they back in Mr. Weasley's car and heading home.

-  
><strong>Ugh, weak ending to the chapter. But it was all I could think of. Still more to come. A few more chapters to go until the big day. Might be busy in the real world, so I'm not sure how many chapters I'll post up in the next couple of days.<strong>

**Also, a lot of people loved the first letter Hermione wrote to Rose, and as you can see, I did another one in this chapter. Might do a few more before the story is over. I like doing those.**


	25. An Unexpected New Symptom

**Chapter 25  
>An Unexpected New Symptom<strong>

**Author's Note: Time to answer a question from a reader:**

**Q: Will you write only to the birth or up to Rose to 1 year old? **

**A: Haven't decided that how many chapters I'll have. I know I'll at least have a few after the birth. We'll see what happens.**

**(Hermione's PoV – April 24****nd****, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: End of 36 Weeks)**

_Dear Rose,_  
><em>Date: April 24nd, 2006 – 3:15 A.M.<em>

_I hope I don't make any mistakes in my writing during this letter. I'm trying to write it as quietly as I can. It is three-fifteen in the morning, and I am wide awake. It's really strange! It is in the middle of the night, and it feels like I just drank a cup of coffee! I guess my so-called 'pregnancy insomnia is back. Ugh._

_Your father is currently sound asleep (and snoring by the way; if he ever tells you he doesn't snore, he's lying!) a few feet behind me as I sit at the desk. I hope he doesn't wake up, because I promised last time this happened to me that I'd wake him up too if it ever happened again. _

_But I know your father needs his sleep. He has seven days now before he takes a holiday for a couple months to prepare for you and take care of both of us. He's been so busy these days because he is trying to get some additional work in before he takes his leave. In fact he's been so busy that he didn't come with me to my doctor's appointment yesterday._

_For the first time in my pregnancy, other than the day I visited the Healer to confirm my suspicions that I was pregnant with you, I went to the hospital alone. It was kind of scary to be honest. I walked right past the room where I'll be when I give birth to you. That was probably one of the strangest experiences of my whole pregnancy so far. Just to get a preview of the room I'll be spending quite a bit of time in on that day._

_The doctor said there is now less than a month to go before you are born. I'm definitely feeling it right now. According to the check-up you are six pounds in weight, and you'll add on a couple more pounds or so before you're out of me. You're also very close to the final height you'll be before you are born. In fact, I think you are already taller than me when I was born! If this keeps up, you're going to be taller than me before your seventh year of Hogwarts! Of course, by then, I'll probably be shrinking a couple of inches. That is strange to think about too. _

_Both of us are healthy as a hippogriff, which is a very good thing. Though I still feel the symptoms. A new symptom has found its way into my life: my memory is fuzzy these days. For example, I remember taking the Knight Bus home from the hospital yesterday, but the ride seemed a lot shorter than it was. Like parts of the journey home are missing from my memory. The doctor said that might happen, but I was hoping he was wrong. Because that is a very scary thing for me to go through. I've always had a great memory. It is because of my memory that I did so well during my years at Hogwarts. And now, at this very moment, it seems to be going away. The doctor said this symptom will stop before too long... or did he say I'd have to go through this for a while even after I give birth to you? Now I can't even remember that. Ugh. _

_Okay, I'm going to try to get back to sleep..._

_Date: Same day, 5:00 A.M._

_Well, that didn't work very well. I tried to get back to sleep, but woke up an hour later. I did a few breathing practices, thinking they would wear me out, but it didn't work. I also tried to do a few leg exercises, which my mid-wife suggested I do to help ease the birthing process. That didn't help either. _

_Also, I discovered yet another new symptom, and I'm sure my Muggle doctor would never have been able to warn me about this one. I should start at the beginning first. Usually, if I find I need to ease my mind, I go into your room and sit in rocking chair. I stare at my new handiwork: the clouds and sun I painted, and I find it helps me go back to sleep. _

_Unfortunately I seem to have forgotten to tell this to your father, because apparently he seems to think I'm spending too much time in your bedroom at the moment. Or at least that is what I think is going through his mind, because he hasn't said a word about it. He didn't need to, though. He found another way to say it: he locked me out your bedroom! I'd hex him for that one, but unfortunately that is where my new symptom comes into the picture. _

_A few minutes ago, as I tried to unlock your bedroom door with a simple spell, I found that I couldn't. I think my magic has temporarily stopped working. I'm almost sure this is another pregnancy symptom. I hope it is... none of my sisters-in-law, nor my mother-in-law, nor any of the books I read warned me about this one. When your father wakes up, I'm going to have him Floo-speak St. Mungo's and see if this is a common symptom. Or maybe I should wait to ask the mid-wife. But what if she doesn't know? She's always said the Healers do know more than her about these things. I just know your father is going to have a fit about this. I won't be surprised if he stays home from work. _

_Uh-oh. Speaking of your father, I hear him waking up. I'll write another letter soon!_

_Love,_  
><em>Mum<em>

Hermione hastily closed the diary and stuffed it back in the desk. She stood up to get into bed, and found that Ron was sitting up and staring at her.

"What are you doing up already?" he asked, as Hermione laid back down against her pillow.

"I – er – woke up early," Hermione said.

"Hermione," Ron said, "You're lying. For one, your side of the bed isn't warm like it usually is for a few minutes after you've just gotten up. And also... it is a little after five in the morning. The last time you were up this early was when -"

"Okay, fine!" Hermione said, giving an annoyed sigh, "My insomnia is back. Happy?"

"Not really," Ron said. "You were supposed to wake me up if this ever happens again."

"I was writing to Rose," Hermione said, "I thought that would help me. Besides, it isn't the only new symptom I have to worry about."

"What's wrong?" Ron asked. "What new symptom? Did Dr. Sterling warn you about it?"

"No," Hermione said, "He probably couldn't warn me about it."

"What is it?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed and picked up her wand from the bedside table.

"Accio Quill," she said, pointing her wand at the desk across the room.

Hermione watched Ron, as he stared at the desk. When the quill didn't float over to Hermione, Ron looked back at her.

"Er..." Ron said, his mouth open rather wide, "What's –?"

"My magic has left me... temporarily, I hope," Hermione said.

"How long have you known?" Ron said.

"Since a few minutes ago," Hermione said, "when I tried to open the door you locked."

"Huh?" Ron asked.

"You locked our daughter's bedroom door!" Hermione said, "How could you?"

"Oh, yeah... right," Ron said, "I was going to tell you that. Honest."

"Right," Hermione scoffed, "Well, I tried to unlock it, and I couldn't."

"What should we do?" Ron asked.

"I was hoping you could talk to a Healer at St. Mungo's via Floo-speak for me," Hermione said, "See if it is a common symptom. Though, I don't think this ever happened to Ginny, Fleur, Angelina or your Mum, has it?"

"No," Ron said, shaking his head, "They would have mentioned it."

"Right," Hermione said, "I guess I could ask Christine."

"Floo-speak to a Healer would be faster than a letter to Christine," Ron said.

"A letter?" Hermione said. "Christine's coming over today."

"When?" Ron asked.

"Um... when you go to work?" Hermione asked.

Ron raised an eyebrow.

"Hermione," he said, "It's Saturday."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron.

"No, it's not," Hermione said, "It's –"

Hermione turned her head and looked at the desk. Then she remembered she couldn't summon her diary which had the calender in it.

"Wait, it's Saturday?" she asked, looking back at Ron.

"Um... yeah," Ron said. "Your doctor's appointment was Friday. Yesterday?"

"Oh, bloody hell," Hermione said, "You're right."

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "It's just my memory these days... not so great."

"Another symptom?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded. Ron sighed and leaned toward Hermione and put an arm around her. Hermione felt tears in her eyes.

"I expected some stuff to happen during the last month of my pregnancy," Hermione said, "But – the return of my insomnia, as well as memory loss _and _the fact that I can't do magic right now? I didn't expect this."

"It'll be fine, Hermione," Ron said, wiping a tear from Hermione's cheek.

"I hope so," Hermione said.

"Hey," Ron said. "If it will ease your mind, I'll go to the fireplace and contact St. Mungo's for you right now. I'll ask about your magic."

"Will you?" Hermione asked.

"Only if you promise to try and get some more sleep," Ron said.

"I promise I'll try," Hermione said. "Right now it seems like I have three cups of coffee going through me."

"And you don't?" Ron asked, with a smirk.

"Of course not!" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes.

"Just asking," Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron grinned and leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Hermione smiled and nodded. Ron stood up and walked out of the bedroom. Hermione carefully stood back up and walked over to the desk, then pulled out her diary. She went to the calender and found that it was, indeed, Saturday. She sighed and went back to the letter she was writing, then picked up her quill and started writing again.

_P.S. It is Saturday. Your father figured out I thought it was Friday, and now he is worried about me. I just know he's going to be a pain in my backside about this whole thing. I was right, by the way. He did lock me out of your bedroom, without telling me. I still haven't finished interrogating him about that. I'm just too worried about my magic right now. I tried to summon this quill I'm using, and it didn't come over to me. I wish I knew what was happening to me. I'll write to you again soon. Hopefully the next letter will be a lot more cheerful than this one._

Hermione sighed audibly as she closed the diary. She put it back in the desk and climbed carefully into bed. She laid down against the pillow, but still felt as wide awake as ever. Above the bed, the ceiling fan was rotating in a circle, though Hermione couldn't remember her or Ron ever turning it on. Her eyesight caught one of the blades, and she tried to keep looking at it, as it went around.

"Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Hmm?" Hermione muttered, keeping her concentration on the fan.

"I just got finished talking to a Healer at St. Mungo's," Ron said. "And I have some good news and bad news."

Hermione's eyes bolted from the fan and she looked at Ron.

"Bad news isn't a good thing, Ronald," Hermione said.

"That's rather obvious," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"What's the news?" Hermione said, "Good news first?"

Ron climbed back into bed and put his arm around Hermione.

"You were correct," he said, "Temporarily losing your magic is a known symptom during pregnancy in witches."

"That's not exactly good news, Ron," Hermione said.

"Well, it is better than the bad," Ron said.

"And that is?" Hermione asked.

"While it isn't exactly a common symptom for all witches," Ron said. "It is extremely common in pregnant Muggle-born witches. Also..."

"What, Ronald?" Hermione asked, "Also what?"

"Also," Ron said, "there is a chance you might not get your magic back until after Rose is born."

"Did they give you a percentage?" Hermione asked.

"It is a fifty-fifty chance," Ron said. "That's all they could give me."

"Wonderful," Hermione said, sarcastically.

"Their best advice," Ron said, "Is to test your magic two-to-three times a day. So... perhaps when Rose is awake, and you feel her kicking and stuff, you can try then."

"Good advice," Hermione said, "One problem though."

"Oh?" Ron asked.

"Dr. Sterling said I won't be feeling Rose kicking too much these days," Hermione said, "She's close to her newborn stage now, which means she's already starting to go into a deep sleep phase, where she'll only wake up a couple times a day. I'll still feel Rose when she's a wake, but now there will be less kicking and more squirming, as she starts to head, little by little closer to the er – birthing canal, as the doctor so nicely put it. I don't have to do those counting-to-ten things anymore. Because I probably won't get that far before she goes back to sleep. Also, there's one more thing."

"Oh?" Ron asked again.

"My appointments are now once a week," Hermione said. "I have another appointment next week."

"You didn't tell me about this last night?" Ron asked.

"I might have – er – temporarily forgotten," Hermione said.

"Right, your memory," Ron said, nodding, "Or lack there of."

"Mmhmm," Hermione said, "Ugh. Do I really have to go back to sleep? I'm wide awake."

"I can think of something that might help you get back to sleep," Ron said, grinning.

"Oh really?" Hermione asked, "And that would be?"

Ron chuckled softly, then leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly.

"It seems I'm not the only one energetic this morning," Hermione said, her voice muffled against his lips.

"Nope," Ron said.

Hermione grinned and returned his kiss, licking his lips and parting them with her tongue.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV)<strong>

Ron's rather intimate idea seemed to work. When he woke back up three hours later, Hermione was still asleep in his arms. Ron smiled and softly kissed Hermione's neck.

"Mmm, I'm not awake yet, Ron," Hermione muttered. "You wore me out. Thank you for that, by the way. Nice idea."

Ron chuckled softly, his lips muffled against Hermione's shoulder.

"You're welcome," Ron said. "You can stay asleep if you want. Unless you're hungry?"

"Not yet," Hermione said, "I'm still sleepy."

"Then it can wait," Ron said.

"Mmm, 'kay," Hermione said, "Love you."

"I love you too, beautiful," Ron said.

Ron kissed her on the cheek. Hermione just sighed in content, which she usually did when she was falling asleep. Ron smiled and gently moved his arm from under Hermione and sat up. He put on some robes and walked out of the bedroom, then headed over to Rose's bedroom.

"Alohomora," he whispered.

Ron opened the door and walked into it. As Hermione had discovered, Ron had locked her out of the room, but there was a very good reason why. Even though Hermione had offered that she would do most of the decorating in Rose's bedroom, Ron had taken a bit of the task into his own hands.

Over the past couple of weeks, ever since he had started working on the flower garden, more roses, all in colors of red, yellow and white had appeared on the hedges near the house. He had picked these roses, but had not told Hermione about them. Instead, he decided to use them. He had laid these roses on the windowsill in Rose's bedroom, and the petals began to dry. He then put them in a few books (which Hermione hadn't discovered were missing just yet) in order to press the petals.

Finally, that morning, the rose petals were ready for Ron to finish up the rest of his surprise to Hermione. He opened the books and pointed his wand at the petals. The petals flew up into the air and over toward the wall above Rose's crib. A couple of minutes later, Ron's work was finished. The flower petals were pasted along the wall, via Permanent Sticking Charm and other charms to aide in the protection of the roses, to form the word ROSE. The R and E were red-rose petals, the O was white rose petals, and the S was colored in yellow rose petals.

Ron admired his handiwork for a minute, then headed out of the room. As soon as he did, he found Hermione walking down the hallway.

"I thought you were making breakfast," Hermione said.

"I thought you were going back to sleep," Ron said.

"I was," Hermione said, "Then I –"

She sighed.

"Fine, you caught me," Hermione said, "I only said I was sleepy, because I wanted to try to go back into Rose's room without you knowing."

"Were you now?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, "You can't keep me out of our daughter's room, you know. I like it in there."

Ron smiled and took Hermione's hand.

"Come on," Ron said.

"Where?" Hermione said.

"I'm going to take you into Rose's room," Ron said.

Hermione raised her eyebrows and Ron led her into Rose's bedroom. He looked at Hermione's face, and her expression glowed in surprise as she saw what was over Rose's crib.

"This is why I locked you out of this room," Ron said, "I just finished this up a few moments ago."

"Oh, it is beautiful, Ron!" Hermione said, grinning.

"You like it?" Ron asked.

"I love it!" Hermione said.

She put her arms around Ron, and kissed him softly.

"Are you still mad at me for locking you out of here?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said. "Definitely not."

"Good," Ron said, "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"Okay," Ron said, "You can sit in here for a while if you want. I'll go fix something."

Ron kissed her on the forehead, and Hermione walked over to the rocking chair and sat down. Ron walked toward the door, and when he walked out, he turned back toward Hermione and looked at her. She had the most adorable grin on her face as she massaged her belly.

"I can't wait for you to see what Ron made you," he heard Hermione whisper to her stomach, "You're going to love it."

Ron chuckled softly and headed toward the kitchen.

-  
><strong>Decided to end the chapter there. Hope you liked it! Might get another chapter up today. Don't know yet.<strong>


	26. Bathtubs and Babysitting

**Chapter 26  
>Bathtubs and Babysitting<strong>

**Author's Note: Readers are curious as to when Rose's birth will finally come. Story-wise, it is less than a month now. Won't say the exact day, but if you pay attention to the weeks, you'll see we're getting very close. I'm going to have a few more chapters before I get to her birth. But it will come soon! I promise!**

**(Hermione's PoV – April 28th, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 37 Weeks)**

_Dear Rose, _

_Date: April 28h, 2006_

_It's five-o-clock in the morning again. Which means I'm up two hours before I should be. You guessed it. My insomnia still hasn't gone away. My magic still isn't back, so I've been storing this diary in the bedside table so I can get to it easier when I have the urge to write to you again. Most of the time that happens in the morning before I start my day. So now I am sitting in bed, writing this letter silently in hopes your father doesn't wake up. He's currently sound asleep beside me. If you're wondering, yes, he is snoring again. _

_Can you believe when I first got this diary, I only planned writing in it once just to make my friend happy? This is now the fourth letter to you, and I could have written more than this already. I just feel like I have so many things to say to you, before you are even born. If I had done this from the first day I found out I was pregnant with you, I might have enough letters in this diary to fill a good-sized book! I hope these letters are something you will cherish one day._

_So, I discovered why your father locked the door to your bedroom. He decorated the wall above your crib, (well, where it is at the moment) with your name adorned in roses. If you're still in the same bedroom when you're reading this, maybe the decoration is still there. Your father is hinting that he might also put your middle and last name in roses as well. He hasn't confirmed this though. I may have mentioned to him once or twice that I'd like a few of those roses to stay on the bushes!_

_My memory is still blurry in places. I had to check the calender before I wrote this to see what day it is. It is Wednesday by the way, in case you are wondering. On Friday, I have yet another doctor's appointment to go to. It is also your father's last day of work before he goes on holiday for a couple of months. I'm not going to bother asking him to take off that day, and even if he asked me, I wouldn't let him. So it looks like I will either be going to the doctor alone, or my midwife will accompany me._

_I told my midwife a couple days ago that I've temporarily lost my ability to use magic. She was rather surprised at first, but she hasn't brought it up too much lately. Most of the time, she's having me focus on my breathing practices and/or leg exercises. They wear me out, but I know they are supposed to prepare me for the big day. I know, given my current state of insomnia, I shouldn't complain about when I can get some sleep, but I think that is the reason I'm awake this early in the morning. I take naps during the day, and my energy comes back this early the following day._

_This lack of memory is really annoying at the moment, you know. I feel like an old lady. Ugh._

_Love,_  
><em>Mum<em>

_P.S. As I was trying to get some sleep, I decided to read back through the letters I wrote to you. If I wanted to put a title to this diary, it could do something along the lines with "Ways To Scare My Daughter Into Not Getting Pregnant." Seriously... even I'm scaring myself just reading what I've written and I'm already experiencing all of this! Okay, I'm going to tell you now what my parents told me – except in my case it was my father. Please don't have children until I'm fifty. Thanks, sweetheart._

Hermione put the diary in the drawer in her bedside table and looked at the clock: it read five-thirty. Ron usually woke up before the alarm went off, so she figured he'd probably be up in another hour or so. She turned and looked at her husband, paying close attention to his breathing movements as he slept without any troubles. His eyes weren't moving in the tell-tale way that usually indicated he was dreaming, but Hermione wondered if he was still dreaming, and what he was dreaming of.

"Ah, bloody hell, this isn't working," Hermione said to herself.

She sat up carefully and slowly, then stood up from the bed. She walked into the bathroom, and even though she felt no urge to use the toilet, she sat down anyway. As she looked at the bathtub, it looked very inviting, so she turned on the hot and cold water and let it fill the tub. When it filled, she took off her robes and carefully stepped into the tub then sat down. When the water was to the desired height in the tub, Hermione turned off the faucet.

The water was warm and really comfortable. She laid her head against the bath-pillow, which had been one of the gifts she had received during the baby shower, and started to wash herself with the washcloth. As she stared up at the tile on the wall of the bathroom, and mindlessly counted each of them, her eyelids felt heavy and she was soon drifting off to sleep...

Suddenly, she was standing alone in a small room. The walls around her were reflective, but when she looked into it toward herself, her reflection looked blurry and she couldn't even recognize herself. She then realized she was standing in a lift, and it was going downward toward a floor. It suddenly stopped with a creaking noise, and the doors opened. She walked through them and down the hallway. When she turned the corner, she found the whole Weasley family, and other people, gathered outside a room. She walked down the hall, but nobody seemed to acknowledge her. They were all looking toward the door of a hospital room. Hermione walked over toward the door, and opened it...

What she saw she didn't expect. She was standing in her own bathroom, and was looking down at the bathtub. Ron was kneeling toward the bathtub. When she looked to see who was in the bathtub, she found that the person was blurry. It was as if she was looking through some frosted glass. Ron was saying something, but she could barely make it out.

"Hermione," Ron's voice said.

"I'm here, Ron," she said, "I can help. What do you need?"

"Hermione," Ron said.

Before Hermione could answer, she felt something touch her shoulder and...

She woke up and saw Ron standing over her.

"Wh-what time is it?" she asked.

"Almost seven," Ron said.

"Was I asleep?" Hermione asked, as she looked up at him.

"Yeah," Ron said. "You looked rather comfortable there, and I was going to leave you alone, but you started mumbling and I thought I heard my name. Were you dreaming?"

"Yeah, I – er – I guess I was," Hermione said. "It was rather strange. I was in St. Mungo's and your family was standing there. At first, I thought I was dreaming about the day when Ginny gave birth to James, but when I opened the door to the hospital room, I found myself in here."

"In this bathroom?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "You were kneeling by the tub, and looking into it at someone who I couldn't see. And – well – I think I was looking at myself, and I was –"

She shook her head and chuckled.

"You were what?" Ron asked.

"I think I was having our baby in this bathtub," Hermione said.

She shivered, even though she was laying in warm water.

"I was never good at decoding dreams, Hermione," Ron said, "But I think I know what yours meant."

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you said you were looking at someone in the bathtub," Ron said, "Though it was blurry."

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"Maybe you didn't want to know who was sitting in the bathtub," Ron said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well, what I'm trying to say," Ron said, "is you're not up to the idea of having our baby in this bathtub, are you? I mean... if it comes to that. That is why you didn't want to see who was in the bathtub in your dream. You don't see yourself in that tub on the big day"

"I haven't thought about that in a while, Ron," Hermione said. "But you're right. I prefer the hospital."

Ron kneeled down next to the bathtub.

"I promise, Hermione," Ron said, "I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're going to have your baby in the hospital."

Hermione smiled and took Ron's hand in hers.

"Your fingers are all wrinkly," Ron said, chuckling. "How long have you been in the tub?"

"Er... for about an hour?" Hermione said.

"You woke up early again, didn't you?" Ron asked.

"Only about two hours early this time," Hermione said, sighing.

"I guess the warm bathwater helped you get back to sleep," Ron said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Guess so."

"There's some breakfast buns in the oven if you're hungry," Ron said.

"Mmm, sounds good," Hermione said.

"Do you need help out of the tub?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded. Ron helped her stand up and get out of the tub. He took the towel and wrapped it around Hermione. Hermione leaned toward Ron and kissed him softly on the lips. Ron kissed her back and backed away slowly.

"Get dressed and breakfast will be ready when you are," he said.

Hermione smiled at Ron as he walked out of the bathroom.

-  
>A couple hours later, after Ron had gone to work, Christine arrived, and she was not alone. A young boy was accompanying her.<p>

"I hope you don't mind that I brought Boyd along with me today," Christine said, as she and her son walked into the house.

"I don't mind at all," Hermione said, then looked down at Boyd, "Hello, Boyd, I've heard so much about you. I'm Hermione, a friend of your Mum's."

Boyd smiled, though he blushed and buried his face against his mother's side.

"If you're hungry," Hermione said, "I believe we still have a few buns left over."

Boyd nodded.

"Kitchen's just over there," Hermione said, smiling.

Boyd left Christine's side and ran into the kitchen.

"I totally forgot his Spring Break holiday started today," Christine said, "I thought it began tomorrow. He's going over to his grandparents tomorrow, but I had to bring him along today. I'll be right back. I need to use your restroom, and I'll find something for Boyd to do, and then we can start on those leg exercises."

"Okay," Hermione said.

Hermione walked into the living room and sat down carefully on the couch. Boyd walked over to her, carrying a breakfast bun with him.

"Is that good?" Hermione asked him.

Boyd nodded and sat down on the chair.

"Are you a witch like Mummy?" Boyd asked.

"Yep," Hermione said.

"Can you do magic?" Boyd asked.

"Most of the time I can," Hermione said. "But I think I kind of lost it for a little bit."

"Why?" Boyd asked.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "I think it is because I'm pregnant."

"Oh," Boyd said, "Like Mummy."

Hermione raised her eyebrows and looked at the boy. Before she could say anything, Christine walked back into the room.

"Boyd," Christine said, "I bet if you ask nicely, Hermione will let you watch her telly in her bedroom."

Boyd's face brightened, and he looked at Hermione. She smiled and nodded.

"I'll be right back," Christine said to Hermione.

Boyd hopped off the couch and followed his mother out of the room. Hermione's mind went back to what Boyd had said. Did he really mean what she thought he meant? As she thought about it, Christine returned and sat down on the chair near Hermione's couch.

"We don't have a telly at home," Christine said, "But my parents do, and Boyd always wants me to get one. We won't have to worry about him interfering with our work."

Hermione nodded.

"Are you okay?" Christine asked her.

"I'm fine," Hermione said.

Christine looked at her. Her eyes widened and she sighed.

"He told you, didn't he?" Christine said.

"More like he let it slip," Hermione said.

"That's what I get for bringing my work home with me," Christine said. "All those books and stuff. Boyd likes looking at them because they have so many pictures. His father is sure he's going to be a Healer when he grows up."

Hermione nodded.

"You can ask me if you want," Christine said, "I won't mind."

"You're pregnant?" Hermione asked.

Christine nodded.

"I found out last Saturday," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked.

"Because I didn't want you to worry about me," Christine said. "I didn't want you to think I couldn't handle being your midwife through the rest of your pregnancy, just because I'm in that position now."

"Oh," Hermione said. "That makes sense, I guess."

"I've been through this two times already," Christine said. "And I work with it almost every day. I know what I'm dealing with, and I'm fine being your midwife for the rest of the time you'll be needing me."

"Yeah, but, Christine," Hermione said, "In a few days, Ron will be off of work for paternal leave, and my Mum will be here as well. If you really need the rest of the time off, you can have it. I know Ron would more than understand."

"But Hermione," Christine said, "There will always be that chance you'll need me for something. What if you can't make it to the hospital on the due date?"

"Ron and I talked about that earlier this morning," Hermione said. "He promised he'd do everything to get me to the hospital on that day."

Christine looked as if she was still worried.

"Can you at least give me a couple days to think it over?" Christine asked.

"Sure," Hermione said, "I need to talk to Ron about it anyway. It isn't like I'm firing you, Christine. I'm just at a point where, at the start of the month, I'll have more than enough company around the house to look after me. Wasn't that one of Ron's worries anyway? One of the reasons he hired you? You're my mid-wife, but in Ron's eyes, you're my babysitter."

"As much as I hate that term," Christine said, "I can see what he means."

Hermione chuckled.

"Congratulations, by the way," Hermione said, "This was something you were planning for, right?"

"Kind of," Christine said. "My husband and I did talk about having another child. It was sort of a surprise. We are very happy though."

"I'm happy for you then," Hermione said.

Christine smiled.

-  
><strong>Decided to end it there! Couldn't figure what else to do with the chapter. Hope you liked it anyway!<strong>


	27. The House Guest

**Chapter 27  
>The House Guest<strong>

**Author's Note: A couple readers think Christine is dragging the story, and I agree with them. She won't be in the story much longer. At first, I wasn't going to have this chapter, then I realized I needed it to move the story along (as well as end one storyline) or the next chapter would seem a bit too quick. **

**(Ron's PoV – May 1****st****, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: Beginning of 38 Weeks)**

The morning of the first of May, Ron woke up to the sound of ringing.

"Hermione, why did you set the alarm last night?" Ron muttered, his eyes still closed, "It is Sunday."

Ron opened his eyes, and realized the ringing wasn't coming from the alarm clock. It was coming from the telephone on the nightstand on his side of the bed. He reached over to the phone and picked it up, then put the receiver to his ear.

"H-hello?" Ron asked, yawning.

"Hi, Ron, it's Helen," Hermione's mother said, "Did I wake you?"

"Ye-yeah, kind of," Ron said.

"My apologies," Helen said. "I was calling to make sure today was when you and Hermione wanted me to come over to stay for a while."

"Oh," Ron said, "Yeah, it is. I almost forgot."

"I have a few things to do around the house," Helen said, "But I can be over there around noon, if that is okay."

"That sounds perfect, Helen," Ron said.

"I could also do some grocery shopping if you want," Helen said. "I figured over the next few weeks, you won't have time to do much cooking when the baby comes. We could start cooking some meals, and store them in your freezer for easy fixing when you want them."

"I hadn't thought about that," Ron said. "It's a good idea. But... I can do the grocery shopping. I was going to go out anyway today. It's my niece, Victoire's birthday tomorrow, and I need to buy a gift for her."

"Great," Helen said. "I'll see you and Hermione around noon, then."

"See you," Ron said, "I'll tell her you called."

A sharp click indicated Helen had hung up. Ron put the phone back on the stand.

"Who's that?" Hermione muttered, sleepily.

"Your mother," Ron said.

"I totally forgot she was coming over today," Hermione said. "Ugh, I can't take much more of this bloody lack of memory stuff."

"Relax, Hermione," Ron said. "She's not going to be here until noon."

"Where's she going to sleep?" Hermione asked.

"Er... the couch pulls out into a bed, doesn't it?" Ron replied.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to sleep there," Ron said.

"Sleep sounds good right now," Hermione said, "I think I'll do it for a couple more hours."

"Good idea," Ron said, "Did you sleep through the whole night?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Finally."

Ron smiled and kissed Hermione on the forehead. He took Hermione's hand in his, and wrapped his other arm under her, and around her. She smiled and moved closer toward him. A moment later, she sighed deeply, and Ron could tell she had fallen back to sleep. As he lay there, holding Hermione, Ron thought back to the phone call with Hermione's mother. He found it was rather silly that he should be surprised she would be coming over today. Had that not been planned for a couple of weeks now?

Of course, now that he thought about it, he realized why the thought had been pushed away. Between the fact that Hermione's due date was looming just around the corner, and the other more recent development that had arisen, Ron had other thoughts clouding his mind. He hadn't been prepared for the conversation he and Hermione had the previous Wednesday evening...

_Flashback:_

_(April 28th, 2006)_

_On Wednesday evening, Ron was standing at the stove fixing a pot of spaghetti for dinner. Recently Hermione's cravings had welcomed pasta back into her diet, and it was the first time they had the dish for quite a while. Hermione was sitting at the small table in the kitchen, writing something in her diary. Ron never asked what exactly was in the diary, because he figured it was something private for Hermione_

_"Ron?" Hermione said, looking up from the diary, "Christine and I discussed something this morning, and I thought you and I should talk about it."_

_"Does this have to do with the whole bathtub birth idea?" Ron asked, "I promised you I'd make sure you had our baby in the hospital."_

_"No," Hermione said, "But that was brought up."_

_"Okay," Ron said, "I'll bite. What did you and Christine talk about?"_

_"I found out something about her on accident today," Hermione said._

_Ron looked over his shoulder at Hermione._

_"She's pregnant," Hermione said._

_"Really?" Ron asked, "Good for her. I'm happy for her."_

_"Yes, me too," Hermione said, "But it also brings up some – er – complications."_

_"Complications?" Ron asked._

_Hermione nodded. Ron took his wand from his pocket, and pointed it to the pot full of water and spaghetti noodles. The large wooden spoon in the pot started to turn, stirring the noodles. Ron walked over to the table and sat down._

_"What complications?" he asked._

_"Even though she's only about seven weeks into her pregnancy," Hermione said, "I asked Christine if she_

_thought she would be better going through her pregnancy without anything else to worry about."_

_"What does that mean?" Ron asked._

_"Basically I asked her," Hermione said, "If she wanted to stop working for us."_

_"You fired her?" Ron asked._

_"No, of course not!" Hermione said. "I only suggested that if she wanted to deal with her pregnancy on her own terms, that I would be okay with that. She wouldn't have to spend any more time here."_

_"What did she say?" Ron asked._

_"She said she wanted to think about it," Hermione said, "And that she'd give me her answer by Friday. I'm going to need her to go with me to my doctor's appointment on Friday anyway, so I agreed to that. I also told her I'd talk to you about the whole thing anyway."_

_"But don't we need her?" Ron asked. "I mean – she's here to help you get through your pregnancy."_

_"I've perfected my breathing techniques," Hermione said, "And the exercises she's been doing with me. I don't need anymore help with that. Yes, I'll keep doing them. But I can do them with you, since you'll be here with me now more often than not thanks to your paternal leave starting on Friday evening. You've already promised me – twice now - we'd try everything so I can have my baby in the hospital."_

_"And if I can't keep that promise?" Ron asked._

_"You'll be here with me," Hermione said, "as will my Mum. If something happens, I'll be fine with the two of you. I mean... a midwife's job is to help the mother if they decide to have their baby at home. I'm not going to make that decision, because I want to have the baby at the hospital. And I have a doctor's appointment weekly now until the baby comes, so we don't have to worry about Christine's experience with my check-ups."_

_Ron nodded. He had to agree with that._

_"Ron," Hermione said, "It is no secret you hired Christine to keep an eye on me, as well as help me go through my pregnancy."_

_Ron grinned._

_"I can't argue with that," he said._

_"I didn't think so," Hermione said, smiling. "Well, now that you'll be off work for a couple months, and like I said, my mother will be here, so you don't have to worry about me being alone. I'll have you two to keep an eye on me."_

_"And you have been able to take care of yourself too," Ron said, grinning, "As you keep reminding me."_

_"Only because I know you're here with me," Hermione said._

_"Okay," Ron said. "If Christine agrees to your suggestion, then I'll be fine with her last day being on Friday."_

_"Okay," Hermione said._

_Hermione returned her focus to the diary._

_"You – er – haven't been hoping for something like this to happen," Ron said, "have you? For there to be some reason for Christine to leave?"_

_"No, of course not," Hermione said, her eyesight remaining on the diary. "She's become a good friend to me. I just feel that her best interests are toward her family and her new baby coming. I guess that's the mother in me talking, but she's in my position now. I know what she'll be dealing with. She does too, sure. But she doesn't_

_need to worry about me. Too much stress like that could only hurt her baby."_

_She looked back up at Ron._

_"Besides, I have you to worry about me now," Hermione said, "You're not going anywhere, right?"_

_"Never," Ron said. "You have me for forever."_

_"That's what I thought," Hermione said, grinning._

_Ron smiled. He stood up and returned to the stove._

_Flashback ends...  
><em>

Ron kissed Hermione on her head, then backed away from her, and slowly got out of bed. He dressed into an outfit for the day, then headed toward the kitchen to begin breakfast.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – May 1<strong>**st****, 2006)**

_Dear Rose,_

_Date: May 1st, 2006_

_Haven't written for a couple of days. Don't know whether to blame that on my current lack of memory, or laziness, or a combination of both. Perhaps it is just because I haven't had too much to talk about until now. Though I don't think it is that either. I've certainly been busy._

_My midwife, who is now pregnant as well, doesn't work for me anymore. We're still very good friends, and because of that friendship, I care for her and know what she's going through. She deserves to focus on the baby. Besides, before too long, you'll be in my arms, and she wouldn't have to deal with me anymore._

_Her last day was Friday, when she accompanied me to the hospital for my now-weekly check-up. According to the ultrasound, you are now very close to your predicted length and weight. Dr. Sterling considered this a very good thing, given that I am in the final stages of pregnancy. He said that sometimes it is common for the due date to move up a week or two earlier than the predicted date, but according to Dr. Sterling, I have nothing to worry about, and he is sure I will have a full-term pregnancy. Basically that means that, sometime in the next two-to-three weeks, I will finally have you in my arms. I just have to be on the lookout for symptoms that mean you are ready to be born. _

_I also hope this means I won't have to wait too long for my memory or my magic to completely return to me. I've been trying every day to do just the simplest of spells, and haven't had too much luck. Luck... I accidentally mentioned that word to your father yesterday, and he came up with the crazy idea of brewing Felix Felicis. I immediately shot that down, after I remembered reading that liquid luck isn't very good for pregnant women. For all I know, it would just give me a full day's dose of bad luck instead. I can't have that. Anyway, my magic has been trying to come back. Just this morning, I tried to summon this diary, and sparks came from my wand. That's an improvement... I hope._

_Right now, your father is out shopping, and I'm here at home waiting for your grandmother, my mother, to come over. She'll be here for a couple of weeks. Your father wanted to stay home until my mother arrived, but I told him I'd be fine. He's out doing some grocery shopping, as well as getting a birthday gift for your cousin, Victoire. A last minute gift, of course, but these days, usually everything is last minute. That's just the way we work these days._

_Hopefully our punctuality, or lack thereof, doesn't rub off on you._

_Love,_  
><em>Mum<em>

Hermione read through the letter, and smiled when she decided it was perfect. She then stored the diary back in her bedside table and stood up carefully from the bed. When she headed toward the front of the house, she heard a the doorbell ring She walked over to the door and opened it. Her mother was standing there with a suitcase in each hand.

"Hi, Mum!" Hermione said, "Good timing. I was just waiting for you."

Helen smiled and walked into the house.

"Ron's out shopping at the moment," Hermione said.

"He left you all alone?" Helen asked.

"I told him I was fine," Hermione said. "Besides, it was only for half an hour."

"Nevertheless," Helen said, as she set her suitcases down, "He should know you're at the stage where the baby could come at anytime over the next three weeks."

"He knows, Mum," Hermione said. "Actually he wanted to stay until you arrived, but I told him I would be okay. And I am very well aware that the baby could come at any moment in the next three weeks. But Dr. Sterling is almost sure I would have nothing to worry about until closer to the due-date."

"Almost isn't one-hundred percent, Hermione," Helen said

"Well, I feel fine right now, Mum," Hermione said. "Besides, you're here now, and we don't have anything to worry about. We can leave your suitcases in Rose's room for now. Is this all you brought?"

"Yes," Helen said, picking up her suitcases, "Unlike a lot of women, I know how to get by on two suitcases for two or three weeks."

Hermione grinned. She led Helen toward Rose's bedroom.

"I hope you don't mind sleeping in the living room, by the way," Hermione said, "The couch is a pull-out bed."

"I don't mind at all," Helen said.

They walked into the bedroom, and Helen set the suitcases down.

"Well, isn't this just lovely?" she commented. "A beautiful room for Rose."

"Yes," Hermione said. "I quite like it. You know, Ron had the idea that we could set something up for you in here instead. But he also considered the fact that you'd want to stay around for a few days after Rose is born. Of course, her crib will be moved to my bedroom, but we'll probably spend some time in here. So it is not exactly the best place for your temporary bedroom."

"I was thinking about that, yes," Helen said. "Believe me, I'm perfectly fine with the pull-out couch. I've slept on far-less comfortable things before."

"How's Daddy with all of this?" Hermione asked. "You being away for three weeks or more must be a tough idea for him."

"He'll cope," Helen said, grinning. "He has work to keep him company. Besides, he has your best interests at heart, and knows I'll do the most good here with you. So how are you feeling, Hermione?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said, "My memory is a little lacking these days, but that will improve soon. The nausea and constant bathroom breaks are still an every day thing, which I am used to, of course. Dr. Sterling says I'm very healthy, all things considered."

"What's this I hear about you firing the midwife?" Helen asked.

"I didn't fire her, Mum," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "She's pregnant now, too, and I thought she'd want to focus more on that. With you here, and Ron on paternal leave, I didn't need a third person here with me. So Christine and I both decided it was in the best interest that she no longer worked for me and Ron."

"Well, I'm not complaining, believe me," Helen said. "Sure, she knows her stuff, but when I talked to her, she was all for you having your baby here at home. No, thank you. I had you at the hospital, and I trust the doctors more than I trust some midwife."

"As for that, you don't need to worry," Hermione said. "Ron's already promised me he'd do everything to get me to the hospital when the baby comes."

"That's why the car and myself are here, Hermione," Helen said, "to make sure Ron keeps his promise."

**Decided to end it there. Like I said in the beginning author's note, this chapter was just here to close the Christine storyline, and bring Helen (as Ron and Hermione's temporary guest) into the story. I won't focus on Helen too much. I'm still focusing most on Ron and Hermione. I have a few more ideas to go before the due-date comes. Next chapter is Ron and Hermione's anniversary, and for those of you who like the letters to Rose, I am doing something a little different concerning that. I think you'll enjoy it.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you for all your reviews so far. They mean so much to me. **


	28. Happy Anniversary

**Chapter 28  
>Happy Anniversary<strong>

**Author's Note: If you are familiar with a trilogy of my stories, you'll find that Ron and Hermione's wedding anniversary date is different for this story and those stories. I changed it so it would be different from Victoire's birthday. This whole chapter takes place on the same day.**

**(Ron's PoV – May 5th, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 38 Weeks)**

_Dear Rose, _

_Date: May 5th, 2006_

_I know that your Mum has written letters to you in this diary, but I decided I should write this one. I haven't told your mother I'm doing this. I wasn't sure how she'd react. While I haven't read her letters to you, I know your mother has done quite a few, and until now I wasn't sure what the whole appeal to it was all about. But now I can see why she loves doing this. _

_Today, May 5th, is mine and your Mum's sixth anniversary. Six years ago, this afternoon, we had our wedding under one of your Uncle George's marquees at the Burrow. I will never forget that day. I'm sure you'll hear all about it someday._

_If you want to be technical, like your mother, our other (non-wedding) anniversary was a few days ago. It also happened to be Victoire's birthday. Eight years ago from that day, was when your mother and I first became a couple, even though we were friends long before that. I'm sure you'll have heard that story quite a lot by the time you read this, so I will spare you the details. It is a very long story._

_Also, that day (and you may have heard about this too), was the end of the Second War, and the wizarding world was victorious. Your late-Uncle, Fred, died that day, and I still remember him just as if he was here with me today. While we celebrate Victoire's birthday on that day, we usually we have a party for her, and a time of remembering for Fred as well. However, this year, Victoire's parents treated her to a day at the beach for her birthday, so we didn't have a party for her. I'm not exactly the best, when it comes to choosing gifts for girls and women. I gave her a coupon to the kid-friendly version of your Uncle George's store._

_May this be an early apology (or late, again, depending on when you read this) to you if I ever give you any horrible gifts. So far in my life, I've only given two good gifts to women, and both of those gifts have been to your Mum. The first was the bottle of perfume I gave to her for Christmas one year. I'm still amazed she loved it. The second was the promise ring I gave to her, on the day we celebrated her birthday for the first time since we had become a couple. I'm sure your Mum would tell you I've given her other good gifts as well. She's probably said before, or at least thought it, that you are the best gift she's ever received from me, and I'd say the same thing to her. But I'm not exactly the type to have a top-ten list of the best gifts I've ever given anyone._

_Speaking of gifts, I really hope your Mum likes what I am getting her today for our anniversary. I've also planned something special for us today, but as for that, I'll keep it my little secret._

_Love,_  
><em>Dad<em>

Ron closed the book quietly and looked beside him. Hermione was sleeping soundly, and Ron thought she looked incredibly beautiful when she was asleep. He stood up slowly from the bed, went to the other side of it, and deposited the diary back into Hermione's bedside table. He then walked out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen. When he arrived, he saw that Helen was there working on something over the stove.

"Good morning," Helen said, when she saw him.

"Helen, you know you didn't have to make breakfast," Ron said. "I was ready to do that. In fact, I was thinking of treating Hermione to breakfast in bed."

"One of your anniversary gifts?" Helen asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "Nothing too big though. I'm planning something good for lunch."

"Well then," Helen said, "how about you help me? We can get it done before Hermione wakes up."

"Good idea," Ron said. "She has been sleeping through the night the past few days, which makes her wake up at her usual time."

Ron opened the freezer and took out the package of bacon.

"You'll be happy to know," Helen said, as she moved away from the stove, "that you and Hermione will be able to celebrate your anniversary without any interference from me."

"Really?" Ron asked.

Ron wasn't too comfortable with using too much magic around Hermione's parents, so he used a knife to cut into the package of bacon, then began placing the strips into the frying pan.

"Yes," Helen said. "Richard has been hinting in his phone calls that he's been wanting some close time with me, since he hasn't seen me in a few days. So I think we're going out to an early movie and dinner. You'll have the whole day to you and Hermione."

"Sounds great," Ron said, "Thank you, Helen."

"To be honest, it was my idea for this 'date' with my husband," Helen said. "I know that me being here has put a – well, I'll say a kink – into you and Hermione's routine."

"It is no problem, I assure you," Ron said, chuckling. "We're very happy to have you here. Between you and me, you're a more welcome guest than my mother would probably be. She's always far too obsessive when it comes to pregnancies and children in her family."

"I can imagine," Helen said, grinning. "I'm not as obsessive as her. Though I won't say no to seeing my grand-baby at least once a week, you know."

"Well, of course," Ron said. "It is your first grandchild. I can completely understand that. With my Mum, I'm starting to lose count of how many grandchildren there are in this big family of ours already. And three more on the way, including Rose. This is your first. Of course you'd want to be a big part of Rose's life."

"That is one big difference between your family and mine," Helen said. "I couldn't imagine having such a big family. When Hermione came along, Richard and I had no desire for another child."

"Well, I'm nothing like my parents when it comes to that," Ron said, grinning, "I'd be happy with one more child after Rose, but even then, I could wait a year or two. I definitely do not want anywhere close to seven children, and I doubt Hermione does either."

"One or two grand-babies is perfectly fine with this grandmother," Helen said, nodding.

Ron smiled and focused on the bacon in the frying pan.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – half-an-hour later)<strong>

"Hermione?" Ron's voice said, "Are you up?"

Hermione opened her eyes half-way, and looked through her eyelids. Ron was standing near the doorway to the bedroom.

"Is something wrong, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Ron said, "Just wondering if you're up."

"I-I guess so," Hermione said, yawning.

"I can see that," Ron said, chuckling.

"Sod off, you woke me up," Hermione said, grinning.

"Only because I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed," Ron said, waving his wand toward the hallway.

Two trays floated into the bedroom, and landed gracefully on the bed. Ron walked over toward the bed.

"It's our anniversary, isn't it?" Hermione asked, as she sat up.

"Isn't it the husband's job to forget that, love?" Ron replied.

"Sod off," Hermione repeated, chuckling, "You know how my memory is these days."

Ron chuckled and leaned toward Hermione and kissed her.

"Happy Anniversary, beautiful," he said.

"Mmm, you too," Hermione said.

Ron gave her a tray of food, and he sat down on the other side of the bed with his.

"I'm going to assume this is only the first treat you have for me today," Hermione said.

"Nope, this is it," Ron said, then grinned.

Hermione rolled her eyes and bit into a piece of bacon.

"Yes," Ron said, "I have a few plans. And your Mum has already promised me that she won't interfere. Apparently she's planned a whole day with your father. She's going to be leaving in a few minutes."

"Good," Hermione said, nodding. "They need that."

"So," Ron said, "Do you think you are up to a nice afternoon walk in the park?"

"It could be some good exercise," Hermione said. "Other than the usual routine with my legs. Why? Is this one of those aforementioned plans?"

"Mmhmm," Ron said, in the middle of a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"This breakfast isn't very big," Hermione said, looking at her plate. "So I'm going to assume this walk in the park is going to go along with something else."

"You caught me," Ron said. "I'm treating you to a picnic."

"Romantic," Hermione said, grinning.

"That isn't all," Ron said. "But I'll leave the last of my plans a surprise."

"You should have let me plan something," Hermione said. "I didn't exactly get you an anniversary gift."

"Do you hear me complaining about that?" Ron asked. "Your gift to me is us spending this whole day together, without any worries. For one day, I was hoping we could not worry about any of this pregnancy stuff. Just you and me."

"I'm not exactly sure my normal, everyday pregnancy symptoms will agree to that," Hermione said, chuckling. "But I'll try my best."

"Then that is your gift to me," Ron said.

Hermione smiled.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV)<strong>

After deciding the Knight Bus was not exactly the best service for someone so close to her due-date, Hermione called the taxi company, and asked for a taxi to be at their house around one in the afternoon. Ron put together food for a picnic, while Hermione found a large comfortable blanket for them to sit on, and by the time the taxi arrived, they were ready for it. When he made sure Hermione was comfortably inside, Ron asked the cabbie to take them to Hyde Park.

It took a little over half-an-hour to get to the park, and when they arrived, Ron paid the cabbie with Muggle money.

"Eat first or take a walk around the park?" Ron asked.

"I need to work up a good appetite," Hermione said.

"Walking, it is," Ron said.

Ron found a shady tree to put down their picnic basket and blanket, then used a spell to keep it safe from thieves or insects. He and Hermione then started down the sidewalk that wrapped itself around the park.

"Lovely day for a walk," Hermione commented, as they started off down the sidewalk.

"Yeah," Ron said. "Are you sure you're up to this? I mean, I know -"

Ron stopped talking when Hermione squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

"I'm fine, Ronald," she said. "I needed this. Exercise like this is good for me."

"Okay," Ron said.

Even though it was the middle of the week, the park was full of kids, whom were out of school on Spring Break. Ron noticed that Hermione was watching the kids, as some chased each other across the lawn, and others kicked a football around.

"I bet Rose would like coming out here," Ron said, as he saw a kid laughing as a ball flew over their head. "When she's older, I mean."

"You think?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "I mean – of course she's going to be a witch, but she has a bit of Muggle background in her, right? Treating her to days in the park, playing like these normal Muggle kids do, is something she'll probably love."

"'Normal Muggle kids'?" Hermione echoed, "What? Your mother never did stuff like this for you?"

"We had the whole lot surrounding the Burrow to play in," Ron said. "Instead of footballs to kick around, we had gnomes for that. Well, Fred and George mostly did the kicking when it came to that."

Hermione chuckled.

"Besides," Ron said, "I think Mum was always too scared we'd unintentionally use our magic at any one moment of the day. She'd never risk that."

"I guess that is something we should be careful with," Hermione said. "Rose's magic coming in when she gets a bit older."

"It is who she is, Hermione," Ron said. "That is going to be normal for her."

"I know that," Hermione said. "I just meant -"

"You're going to be worried just like my mother was?" Ron asked.

"I know, it sounds mental," Hermione said. "I should be more understanding about this whole thing. You're right. Of course you are. We can't keep Rose away from having a normal child's life. I'm sure she'd love to do what these kids are doing. It's just -"

Hermione chuckled again and shook her head.

"What?" Ron asked.

"I'm not exactly used to that like you are," Hermione said. "You grew up with this stuff happening around you. But as for me? Sure, the magical side of me might have shown itself a few times when I was a kid. But until I found out I was a witch, I grew up as a Muggle. That was all I knew until I turned eleven, and Professor McGonagall showed up on my doorstep inviting me to Hogwarts and telling me and my parents what I really was. This is going to be new to me, having to raise a kid whose magical side of her is going to be around right from the start."

"Hermione," Ron said, "If that is what you're worried about, you should look at it from Harry's view. He was in the same position as you, wasn't he? All that time he spent at the Dursleys, until Hagrid came along and told him what he was, he grew up as a Muggle, just like you did. Now look at him... the father of a little boy, and another child coming. He's doing just fine as far as I can tell."

"I guess I hadn't really thought about that," Hermione said, smiling.

"I know what you mean, though," Ron said. "We both want what is best for Rose. I'd love for her to grow up like a normal child... well, as normal as someone who is a witch can be. I think my biggest dream for Rose is for her to grow up in a world where she doesn't have to deal with someone like Voldemort, or Bellatrix Lestrange, or Fenrir Greyback."

"You think about that a lot?" Hermione asked.

"I do," Ron said, "Even though I don't like to talk about it, I think about it all the time. I think that is why I'm an Auror, Hermione. So that our children don't have to grow up the same way we did. That is why, even when I had my doubts that I could still go through being an Auror, even though you're pregnant, I still couldn't see myself doing anything but being an Auror, when it came to my career. Because, out of everything, it'd probably kill me if our daughter ever had to deal with the things we dealt with during the Second War. The thought alone is hard to swallow."

He chuckled nervously.

"It is kind of mental to think about all of that, huh?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said, "I think it is something we should think about. We shouldn't avoid thinking about the days we went through. Also, I don't want to hide any of that from Rose. That would be the worse thing for her. I'd hate for her to be oblivious about everything that happened to us."

"You're serious?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Knowledge is power. Okay, so we don't have to put her through some of the more frightening stuff. I'm not going to be the reason she has nightmares. But that part of our history. That is what we went through. If we don't talk about it, she's going to have to deal with it at Hogwarts. And... well, believe it or not, I think our names, along with Harry's, are going to be in the history books when it comes to the subject of the Second War."

"Blimey," Ron said, chuckling, "My name in a history book."

Hermione laughed.

"But really, Ron," she said. "Do you want our daughter to learn about all the stuff we went through, from the words of someone like Professor Binns?"

"Well, now that you mention it," Ron said. "No... I'd imagine that would be quite embarrassing for her."

"Right," Hermione said, "Though I will admit. It is kind of strange thinking about all of this before our daughter is even born."

"Yeah," Ron said, grinning, "Kind of mental."

Hermione chuckled and Ron put his arm around Hermione, and they continued walking through the park.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV)<strong>

_Dear Rose,_  
><em>Date: May 5th, 2006<em>

_As I was turning the pages of this diary, looking for a blank page to write on, I noticed that your father had written you a letter just this morning. I've opted not to read it, and to leave it as a private letter between you and your father. He didn't tell me he wrote a letter to you, so I'm not sure if he'll do it again. I'm sure he enjoyed it though._

_Usually I write letters to you when I wake up in the morning, but today is a little different. Right now, it is late afternoon, and the sun will be setting in a little while. I love watching the sunset. It is so peaceful, and we always have a nice view of it from our backyard._

_Speaking of the backyard, at this moment, your father is back there, working on the last bit of my surprise for our anniversary today. He's banned me from going back there for a little while, so I'm going to assume it is something pretty nice, though I can hardly imagine what._

_Today's been pretty memorable. I woke up to your father serving me breakfast in bed. Then we went to the park this afternoon for a nice little walk and a romantic picnic. I'm sure you're turning up your nose at the thought of me and your father doing anything romantic, so I promise I won't blab on about any of that._

_I'm finally getting used to your grandmother being a guest in the house. Even though I was up to the idea of having her stay with me and your father for a couple of weeks, at first I was kind of horrified at the thought. It's been years since I lived with my Mum for any period of time, so it takes a bit to get used to. She's helped a lot though. And she'll be here when we need her to take me to the hospital when the time finally comes for you to come into the world. _

_If there's anything I regret about, when it comes to being a part of the wizarding world instead of the Muggle world, it is not being used to using some of the things that Muggles take for granted. By the time you read this letter, you'll probably know that I'm Muggle-born, and didn't know I was a witch until my eleventh birthday. Sometimes, like recently, I find myself thinking about what my life would be like if I wasn't a witch. I know, for one, I would have never met your father, and that is the strangest to think about out of everything. I can't see my life without your father being in it. _

_But there is other stuff I think about. My mother is living with us, because unlike most wizards who never learned how, my mother, a Muggle, can drive a car. I know I wouldn't be able to drive myself on that day, but sometimes I find myself wishing I could drive. Because I can usually apparate and travel by Floo Powder, I never needed to learn how to drive. But now that you're a part of mine and Ron's lives, traveling by magic isn't exactly going to be the best way to do so when we have to travel places with you. It is times, when I think about that, that I wish I did know how to drive a car. It would make some things a lot easier. _

_I realize I'm blabbing on about all of this, but I find it really easy to do so when I'm writing these letters to you. Once again I ask myself why I didn't do this much earlier on in my pregnancy with you. If your father didn't like writing the letter he wrote to you, I might have a few choice words for him._

_Oh! Speaking of your father, I think I hear him coming. So I'll end this letter now._

_Love,_  
><em>Mum<em>

Hermione closed the diary and put it in the drawer of her bedside table.

"Hermione?" Ron called out.

"In the bedroom," Hermione said.

Ron appeared at the doorway to the room.

"Decided to write another letter to Rose while I waited for you to finish," Hermione said.

Ron smiled and nodded.

"I saw that you wrote a letter to her too," Hermione said, as she stood up from the bed, and walked over to Ron.

"Are you mad that I did?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said, grinning, as she put her arms around her husband, "I thought it was quite sweet that you did. I didn't read the letter, though. That's private between you and Rose."

"Just wanted to see what all the buzz was about," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron on the lips.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" Ron asked.

"Definitely," Hermione said.

Ron backed away, and took Hermione's hand. He led her toward the back of the house, and through the door leading into the backyard. Hermione gasped, as her eyes went directly to the center of the backyard. A very familiar-looking large tent was set up in the yard, and a small fire-pit had been built outside it.

"Wow," Hermione breathed, "Is that –?"

"The tent we used when we were hunting down the Horcruxes with Harry," Ron said, nodding.

"How did you find the tent?" Hermione asked, "I thought we lost it."

"It turned up, a few months ago, in the evidence room at the Auror Department," Ron said. "I have no idea why it was there, but when I claimed the tent as my own just this past week, they gave it to me. When they asked for proof, I said it was confidential, and that it had to do with the end of the Second War. I reckon that was all they needed, and – well – here it is. I made a few changes to suit our needs, but it is basically looks exactly the same. Come on, I'll show you."

Ron led Hermione toward the tent, and inside it. The inside of the tent looked almost exactly how Hermione had remembered it from so many years ago. Even though it was small on the outside, it was spacious as a one-room flat on the inside. The only difference, as Hermione soon discovered, was that the two bunk-beds had been taken out and replaced with a large, and very comfortable-looking, queen-sized bed.

"I know you've been cooped up in our house for so long thanks to the pregnancy," Ron said, "so I thought you might want something different. Since I can't take you anywhere to go camping right now, I thought I'd bring the camping to you."

As she looked around the room, a scent of something cooking wafted through Hermione's nose. Ron left the tent, and Hermione followed him.

"I hope your appetite is up for fish," Ron said, as Hermione sat down in a comfortable lawn chair, "I wanted to recreate that part of this experience too, and decided to fix a meal that we had when camping."

Hermione noticed the salmon roasting over the fire-pit.

"I think I can handle fish tonight," Hermione said, smiling.

Ron smiled. Hermione watched him as he prepared the fish over the fire. She shook her head and chuckled.

"What?" Ron asked, looking over the fire.

"Nothing," Hermione said, "It's just – well – all of this. I would have never expected any of it."

"It was something I've been thinking about recently," Ron said. "This being our sixth wedding anniversary, and us being together now as a couple for eight years. I was thinking about those endless days where we just spent time in this tent. That damned locket around our necks making us think of mental stuff. And I was thinking... what if we were actually together, as a couple, during those days, instead of becoming one right at the end of the Second War. I probably wouldn't have thought about the things I did. Instead of that, we'd probably be cuddled up together in front of a fire like this."

"In front of Harry?" Hermione asked, chuckling softly, "As if."

"Well, okay," Ron said, "probably not. But it just makes me think – you know – 'what if' and all that mental stuff – and that is what I wanted this night to be like."

"It's perfect," Hermione said, "Thank you."

Ron smiled. He dished the salmon onto two plates, and summoned two butterbeers from a small cooler. Hermione took them gratefully and started in on the food. As Hermione was finishing up her dinner, Ron stood up and disappeared inside the tent. A minute later, just as Hermione finished her meal, she heard music coming in from inside the tent. Hermione raised her eyebrows, curiously, and stepped inside the tent. The music was coming from the same radio they had used during the hunt.

"Can I have this dance?" Ron asked.

Hermione grinned and walked toward Ron. Ron put his arms around her. She found it rather odd at first to dance with her belly in between them. But Ron remedied that, easily, and moved around to Hermione's back. He wrapped his arms around her, and they danced with her back against his chest.

"Mmm, if you're not careful," Hermione said, "I might have to let you plan our anniversaries from now on."

"So I'm guessing you like this?" Ron asked.

"I love it," Hermione said.

"I couldn't think of what to get you for a gift," Ron said. "I even looked it up in a book that had to do with anniversaries and stuff."

"A book?" Hermione asked, skeptically, "You?"

"I know, right?" Ron said, chuckling. "Anyway... one of the suggestions was to give a gift that was symbolic to us. Well, the only thing I could come up with..."

Ron moved one arm away from Hermione, and a moment later, he returned it.

"... was this," Ron said, opening his hand.

Hermione looked down at Ron's hand. In it was a small silver charm that was shaped as the Roman Numeral VI.

"For your charm bracelet," Ron said. "For the six years we've been married. I know it isn't much."

"I love it!" Hermione said, "Thank you, Ron."

She raised her arm up and let Ron fasten the charm to the bracelet. She then turned her head toward Ron and kissed him softly on the lips. Ron returned the kiss, and Hermione grinned against his lips, then pulled him against the queen-sized bed and sat down carefully onto it, then gently pulled him toward her on the bed and kissed her softly.

"Hermione?" Ron said, his lips muffled against hers.

"Hmm?" Hermione asked, before kissing him again.

"I think I better put out the fire in the pit before we continue," Ron said.

Hermione chuckled.

"That would probably be a good idea," she said, grinning.

As Ron stood up and left the tent, Hermione backed up slowly against the bed. It was very comfortable and a lot different than the bed she had been used to while in the tent.

"Isn't this kind of cheating?" Hermione asked when Ron returned. "Having a bed like this when we're camping."

"Technically," Ron said, "The whole idea of a tent like this is cheating."

"Touche," Hermione said, chuckling.

"Besides," Ron said, "I thought it would be most comfortable for you, given the state you're in."

"Always worrying about me," Hermione said, grinning as she pulled Ron back onto the bed toward her.

Hermione kissed him again, but before she could lose herself in it, Ron backed away.

"I should turn off a few lights," Ron said.

"Can I try?" Hermione asked. "I've been carrying my wand with me all day hoping my magic comes back to me."

Ron nodded. Hermione pulled her wand from her jeans, and pointed it at the lantern across the room. She muttered a spell, and a moment later, the lantern went out.

"Finally!" Hermione said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Knew it would come back sooner or later," Ron said.

Hermione grinned, and with a wave of her wand, doused the other lanterns at once. She put her wand on the table near the bed. Hermione made herself comfortable once again.

"Happy anniversary, beautiful," Ron said.

"Happy anniversary, Ron," Hermione said, "I love you."

"I love you more," Ron said.

Hermione grinned and pulled Ron back to her and kissed him once again.

-  
><strong>Awww, I loved this chapter so much. Had the tent portion of the story in my head for a couple of days now.<strong>

**Hope you loved it too. Probably won't get a chapter up tomorrow, so I wish all of my readers (if you celebrate the holiday) a Happy Halloween. Don't let the ghouls frighten you!**


	29. Early Morning Tea

**Chapter 29  
>Early Morning Tea<strong>

**Author's Note: This is shorter chapter than I'm used to doing. I had intended to use the ideas for this chapter as a possible deleted scene after the story, solely on the fact that this chapter focuses more on Harry and Ginny than it does for Ron and Hermione. But I don't know if I'll do any deleted scenes, so I decided to add this into the story. Hope you enjoy it.**

**(Hermione's PoV – May 6th, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: End of 38 Weeks)**

_BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! _

Hermione opened her eyes, sleepily, and reached her hand over to hit the alarm clock, but hit nothing. Hermione looked up and realized she was still in the tent, and the alarm clock was not there. Hermione looked around for the sound of the buzzing. Hermione looked beside her and saw Ron still asleep.

"Ron?" Hermione asked, "What's going on?"

"Mmm?" Ron said, sleepily.

Hermione was about to respond, but a snore emitted from Ron's lips and he went back to sleep. Hermione sighed and sat up carefully. She stood up and waddled across the room, searching for the buzzing sound. Then she found it. The old Sneakoscope they had used for the hunt was spinning noisily on the counter near the sink. Hermione picked it up and it turned off. Her eyes widened as she looked at the Sneakoscope and realized what the sound had meant. Someone, who was not supposed be there right now, was somewhere on their lot.

"Ron?" Hermione asked, as she walked back over to the bed. "I think someone's here."

Ron muttered sleepily and pulled the blanket over him. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll go check," she said, "But you better hope I don't regret this."

She put her pyjamas back on hastily, and found her wand on the floor. She then crept out of the tent, and looked around. It was still dark outside.

"Lumos," Hermione said, and the end of her wand lit up.

She crept along the yard, and toward the house, then went in through the back door. The clock on the wall in the hallway read five in the morning. Hermione headed for her bedroom, when she heard a sound coming from the front porch. Hermione slowly walked toward the door, her wand pointing straight in front of her. To her left, in the living room, her mother was sleeping on the couch, which had been turned into the make-shift bed. Hermione walked over to the front door. She unlocked it, reached for the doorknob, and turned it. When she opened the door, there was nobody standing at the doorway. She peered out the front door and looked around on the porch, and saw someone sitting on the front steps.

"Hello?" Hermione asked, her wand pointing at the figure.

The figure turned around and Hermione recognized them instantly.

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said, as he stood up.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, "It is five-o-clock in the morning."

"Ginny kicked me out of the house," Harry said.

"Let me guess," Hermione said, sighing, "Hormones?"

"Must be," Harry said, shrugging.

"Well, come in, and we can talk about it," Hermione said.

Harry nodded and walked into the house. Hermione shut the door and locked it.

"You about scared me half to death," she said to him, "the Sneakoscope went off, and I thought it was an intruder."

"You have a Sneakoscope?" Harry asked.

"I – well – it's a long story," Hermione stammered.

"I have time," Harry said, "Not sure when Ginny will let me back in the house."

"It can wait," Hermione said, "I'll fix a pot of tea, and you can tell me what happened."

"Since when do you have tea at five-o-clock in the morning?" Harry asked.

"Since when do you provoke your wife at five-o-clock in the morning?" Hermione retorted.

"Touche," Harry said.

Hermione grinned and led him into the kitchen. She walked over to the stove and proceeded to make tea. The room was very silent and Hermione wondered if Harry was delaying his story. Then she realized that might not be it at all. She wondered if Harry was going through what happened in his head and trying to make sense of it.

Neither Hermione nor Harry spoke up, until she had poured two cups of tea and sat down at the table with him. Then, after a nice long swig of tea, Harry finally decided to talk.

"Okay, here goes," he said. "So, James decided he wanted to wake up early, and he started crying in his bedroom. I thought Ginny was going to wake up and see what was wrong, because – you know – she's usually the one to do that. I asked her if she was going to tend to James, and – well – I don't know what I did. All I know is she got up and went to help James. And she seemed – well – upset, I guess."

"Maybe she wanted you to tend to James," Hermione said.

"Well, yeah, I get that now," Harry said, "But usually she wants me to get some more sleep at this time in the morning, so I thought she was going to do it anyway."

"So what happened next?" Hermione asked.

"Well, James was still crying," Harry said, "So I got up to go check on him and Ginny. Ginny wasn't in the room, and James was still in his crib, upset. I went over to him to calm him down, and next thing I know, Ginny's in the room with James' bottle. She's wondering why I'm not in bed, and I tell her I was checking on James. She asks me why I didn't do it in the first place, and when I said I thought she'd do it, she started getting all mad. I didn't want to get James even more upset, so I told Ginny we'd talk about it later, and she must have misunderstood, because she raised her voice at me. I didn't want to fight in front of James, so I decided to let Ginny cool off a bit, and – well – here I am."

"So technically she didn't kick you out of the house," Hermione said. "You left."

"I doubt she would ever kick me out of the house," Harry said.

"So why did you say she did?" Hermione asked.

"Because it feels like she did," Harry said.

Hermione chuckled.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Harry said. "I thought Ron would be the one to answer the door."

"I don't think he could have heard you," Hermione said.

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Why not?" he asked, "He get drunk on your anniversary, and he's sleeping it off?"

"No," Hermione said, chuckling, "Nothing like that. Actually, I'm surprised he didn't hear the blasted Sneakoscope."

"Again with the Sneakoscope," Harry said, "You have to explain this to me."

"One of Ron's anniversary ideas," Hermione said, "was for us to camp out for the night."

"You're not in any fit state to go camping, Hermione," Harry said.

"Well, not anywhere besides our own home," Hermione said. "We went camping in our backyard. And we used the old tent."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"The old tent we used a few years ago?" Hermione said. "During – you know -"

Harry's look of confusion changed to sudden understanding.

"You mean – our old tent?" Harry asked. "I thought we'd never see that again."

"I guess it turned up in the Auror department," Hermione said, shrugging, "Ron found it and set it up here last night. We camped out in it last night. I guess the old Sneakoscope I gave you for your birthday that year was still in there."

"Some birthday gift," Harry said, "Didn't even recognize me."

Hermione laughed.

"So you and Ron camped out in the old tent in your back yard for your anniversary," Harry said. "Romantic."

"Yes, very," Hermione said, grinning.

"And this was Ron's idea?" Harry asked, skeptically.

"He can be very romantic when he wants to be, Harry," Hermione said.

"Mmhmm," Harry said, "I can see that."

"So what are you going to do about Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure," Harry said.

"Well, you're welcome to get a bit more rest here if you need it," Hermione said, "I'm going to go back to bed myself. I have another doctor's appointment in a few hours."

"Another one?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Hermione said, shaking her head, "Sometimes I wonder if I should just rent a hospital room for the next two weeks until Rose decides she wants to show herself."

"Two weeks," Harry echoed, "After forty, it all comes down to two."

"Maybe less than two," Hermione said.

"You ready?" Harry asked.

"I think so," Hermione said, "I hope so."

"You'll be fine," Harry said. "Ginny was the same way. She was all anxious when it was closer to the time she would have James. It's completely normal to feel this way."

Hermione nodded. She gulped down the rest of her tea and stood up carefully.

"I'm going back to bed," she said, "How long are you going to be here?"

"As long as it takes for Ginny to miss me," Harry said, shrugging.

"She probably misses you right now, Harry," Hermione said, "I know I missed Ron right away when I kicked him out of the house."

"Fine," Harry said, "I'll wash these two cups for you and then I'll go."

"Say hi to Ginny for me," Hermione said, grinning.

Harry nodded, and Hermione left the kitchen then headed back for the tent. She crawled back into bed and snuggled against Ron.

"You're up already?" Ron asked, muttering sleepily.

"Fancied a cup of tea," Hermione said, "I'm back."

Ron smiled. Hermione kissed him softly on the lips.

"Let's go back to sleep," Hermione said.

Ron muttered something, and Hermione could see he had already fallen back to sleep. She snuggled against him and drifted off back to sleep.

**(Harry's PoV – May 6th, 2006)**

A few minutes after finishing up his conversation with Hermione, Harry apparated, with a quiet _crack, _on the front step of Grimmauld Place. He went inside and up the stairs toward his bedroom. As he walked down the hall, he heard a soft creaking sound coming from James' bedroom. He stopped outside his son's bedroom, and peered in through the doorway. Ginny was sitting there, feeding James with a bottle. The rocking chair was facing the other way, and Harry wasn't sure if Ginny knew he was there.

He stood there, watching Ginny as she rocked back and forth in the chair. James was murmuring softly, his voice muffled against the bottle. Ginny was in the middle of her second-trimester, now twenty-three weeks pregnant. By this time during Ginny's first pregnancy, both she and Harry were aware they would be having a son. But this time, both had decided not to find out if their new baby was a boy or a girl. They both decided it was better that it was a surprise this time.

"I know you're there, Harry," Ginny said.

"Yeah, I'm back," Harry said.

"You didn't need to go anywhere in the first place," Ginny said.

Harry sighed and walked into the room. He went over to the rocking chair and knelt down next to it.

"You were mad at me," Harry said. "I didn't want to fight in front of James, so I thought I'd let you cool down."

"I wasn't mad at you," Ginny said.

"You raised your voice at me," Harry said.

"Harry, you know well enough how I sometimes act when I'm pregnant," Ginny said. "I thought you knew how to deal with my hormones then."

"I do know how to deal with them," Harry said. "I just thought it was better to deal with them away from you."

"Well, you were wrong," Ginny said.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, "I shouldn't have left."

"You're back," Ginny said, "That's all that matters."

Harry smiled and leaned toward Ginny and kissed her softly.

"Where did you go?" Ginny asked.

"Over to Ron and Hermione's place," Harry said.

"At five-o-clock in the morning?" Ginny asked, "You probably woke Ron up."

"No," Harry said, "Hermione met me at the door."

"She's still going through her insomnia?" Ginny asked, "I thought that was over with."

"It is," Harry said, sighing, "It's a long story. Anyway, we talked about what happened here, and here I am."

Ginny looked as if she was about to reply, but James interrupted her with a burp. When he started to cry, Ginny lifted him up and cuddled him.

"I can help him get back to sleep if you want to go back to bed," Harry said.

"Sure," Ginny said, "I think he missed you anyway. Kept saying Dada."

Harry grinned and carefully took James from her. James grinned when he looked at Harry. Harry smiled and cuddled his son against him. Ginny stood up and walked out of the room. Harry walked over to the crib and gently laid James down in it.

"You know I'd never leave you or your Mum, huh?" Harry said to James, as he covered him up with a blanket.

James cooed softly, and closed his eyes. Harry smiled at his son, as he watched him drift off to sleep.

-  
><strong>Rather short chapter, like I said. Hope you enjoyed it.<strong>

**I have a bit of writer's block, and I am trying to think of ideas for a couple more chapters before I get to Rose's birth. Hopefully I can get a new chapter up in the next couple of days.**


	30. Invitations and Information

**Chapter 30  
>Invitations and Information<strong>

**Author's Note: Harry's owl in this chapter is one I use in my fan-fic "Harry Potter and the Return To Hogwarts". **

**(Hermione's PoV – May 12th, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 39 Weeks)**

_Dear Rose,_  
><em>Date: May 11h, 2006<em>

_Just returned from my latest doctor's appointment, and according to him, it may very well be my last before you come into the world. He said that anytime in the next week, you'll be ready to be born. It is hard to believe that out of forty weeks, I am now down to single-digit days. In the next few days, you'll finally be in my arms. It is really strange to think about._

_By the time you read this, I'll probably have been your mother for quite a few years, and completely used to it like it was something I've done my whole life. But right now, it is odd for me to think that I'm going to be a mother to you. I can hardly put it into words. _

_During our first few days of the first year of our marriage, your father and I talked about what it would be like to have a family of our own, and I'll be perfectly honest with you: both of us were completely frightened at the thought of that. We were both only twenty years old. Even at twenty, I felt like a kid myself. Sure, I matured more quickly than many people do, thanks to the events that I had been through during my teenage years. But in some ways, I still felt like that little girl growing up at Hogwarts._

_Your father's always been a kid at heart. Sometimes when I look at him, I find myself looking at that tall, freckled kid I knew when I was a student in Hogwarts. But now, ever since he learned he was going to be a father, I've seen him grow and mature so much. _

_I guess your father would say I'm the same way. These past soon-to-be forty weeks seem to me like I've lived a completely different life. I've grown up so much and I guess it is because I've been preparing for you to come into the world. _

_At the moment, I'm sitting in our living room, while your father and grandmother are cooking dinner for us. Over the past few days, it hasn't been uncommon to find them in the kitchen cooking different things. Your grandfather bought us a deep-freeze a few days ago, and now there are frozen meals, all cooked by your father and grandmother, stacked in there. Years ago, before I started living with your father, I would have never believed he'd be the type to cook. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. His mother is a wonderful cook, and he probably just inherited the skills from her._

_Speaking of food, sounds like it is about ready, so I'll end this letter here. I cannot wait to hold you in my arms and I'm counting down the days until I can._

_Love,_  
><em>Mum<em>

As Hermione closed the diary, she heard footsteps behind her. She looked over her should and saw Ron carrying two trays over toward her. He set them down and Hermione saw that dinner was chicken breast and some kind of pasta. A glass of tea sat beside the plate.

"Oh, Ron, I could have sat in the dining room," Hermione said, sighing.

"Nonsense," Ron said, "We can have dinner here where you're comfortable."

"Oh, so we're going through that phase again, eh?" Hermione asked.

"What phase?" Ron asked.

"Where you wish to make me the most comfortable no matter what the occasion calls for," Hermione said.

"Nonsense," Ron said. "I just thought we could have dinner in here tonight."

"Uh-huh," Hermione said. "You know, I'm not having our baby right this minute."

"I know that," Ron said. "But Dr. Sterling said that it could come anytime in the next week, so I've decided to let you relax until then."

"Sweet of you," Hermione said. "Though you better hope you're not too annoying over the next few days."

"Oh, come on," Ron said, as he handed one of the trays to Hermione, "Can you honestly tell me you're comfortable when you sit at the dining table these days? Your can hardly reach the table as it is."

"That better not be a fat joke, Ronald," Hermione said.

"Of course not," Ron said, grinning.

"Good," Hermione said, "Because that would qualify in the category of too annoying."

Ron chuckled and he seemed ready to reply, but was interrupted by Helen's footsteps walking into the living room.

"Try not to get food on my bed, you two," Helen said, as she sat down on one of the chairs.

"Wouldn't be my fault, Mum," Hermione said, glaring at Ron, "Ron's decided I need to be comfortable."

"You should cherish this comfort, Hermione," Helen said, "There's not going to be too much of it during childbirth."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a light pecking sound on the living room window. Ron put his tray on the table and stood up, then walked over to the window.

"Is that Ares?" Hermione asked, referring to Harry's owl.

"Yep," Ron said, as he opened the window.

He took the letter from Ares, and sat down beside Hermione. Hermione took a mouthful of noodles as she watched Ron read through the letter.

"Hmm," Ron said, "Harry and Ginny's taking James to the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow afternoon for lunch, around two. Guess Tom's been asking to meet James. Anyway, Harry's asking if we can come."

"That sounds fun," Hermione said.

"I don't know," Ron said.

"Ron, you better not be saying that because you're worried about me," Hermione said, "I'll be perfectly fine."

"I could take you there if you want," Helen said, "I'm wanting to do some shopping in town anyway."

"So?" Hermione asked Ron.

"Fine," Ron said, sighing, "We can go. I'll write back and accept their invitation."

Hermione grinned and continued on her dinner as Ron wrote a return note on the bottom of the parchment.

**(Ron's PoV – May 13****th****, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: End of 39 Weeks)**

When Ron woke up the following morning, Hermione was awake and looking at her diary. When she noticed he was looking at her, Hermione smiled softly.

"Good morning," she said.

"Writing another letter?" Ron asked.

"Mmm, nope," Hermione said, shaking her head, "Just checking off another day on the calendar. Though I could use another letter. So many thoughts going through my head these days."

Ron propped the pillow against the headboard of the bed and laid down on it, and looked back at Hermione.

"You could always talk to me about it instead of to Rose, you know," Ron said.

"Sometimes it is easier to write down these things," Hermione said.

"We're supposed to talk about these things, Hermione," Ron said, "That's a key to a successful marriage, you know."

"I have no worries about our marriage, Ronald," Hermione said, grinning.

"Neither do I," Ron said. "But Hermione... I've only written one or two letters to Rose in there because I'm better at talking about things with you than writing them down."

"You really have changed a lot in the past few months," Hermione said.

"I'm not that little kid anymore if that is what you mean, Hermione," Ron said.

Hermione chuckled. She put the diary on the bedside table, then leaned toward Ron and kissed him softly.

"Just say what is on your mind," Ron said, as Hermione backed away.

"Ginny's probably the one I should talk to this about," Hermione said, sighing.

"Give me a chance," Ron said.

"Well, I was just thinking of something Mum said last night," Hermione said. "How she mentioned I wasn't going to be very comfortable during childbirth."

"Isn't that something you've been expecting though?" Ron asked.

"Well, sure," Hermione said, "But now that I'm down to single-digit days and our baby could come in the next few days, it seems like I've forgotten about all of that. Like I don't know what to expect anymore. It –"

She sighed audibly.

"It scares me." she said.

Ron took Hermione's hand softly in his. Hermione smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. Ron kissed her hair softly.

"You know I'm going to be right there with you, right?" he asked, "Through it all?"

"Of course," Hermione said.

"I said to you on the day of our wedding that we're in this together," Ron said. "I'm not going to ever take that back. I'm with you for the rest of our lives, and together with you whatever happens."

Hermione smiled.

"You have nothing to be scared about," Ron said, "I'll be there."

"My hero," Hermione said, grinning.

She leaned toward him and kissed him softly. Ron returned the kiss and chuckled against her lips, when Hermione pushed him against the pillow.

"I'm going to miss this side of you when this is all over," Ron said.

"Cherish it," Hermione said, with a smirk, "It might not come back for a while. Especially since Rose may need us at any moment in the night."

"Guess I should make the most of it then," Ron said.

Hermione chuckled and kissed Ron again.

-  
>Shortly before two, they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Ron stepped out of Helen's car, and helped Hermione out of the front seat.<p>

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," Helen said, "Have fun. Say 'hi' to Harry and Ginny for me."

"Will do," Hermione said, "Thanks, Mum."

Helen smiled, and Ron shut the car door. As Helen drove away, Ron and Hermione headed into the Leaky Cauldron. Harry and Ginny were across the room at a table. James was in a baby stroller, and Tom, the barman, was setting up a high-chair in front of the table.

"Haven't had to set one of these up in quite a while," Tom said, as Ron and Hermione walked over to them, "Ah, "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, welcome. Hermione, I was warned you were coming, so I modified this table for you to sit at. This might be a first for me. Haven't had two pregnant women and a baby at one table ever in the history of my bar."

Hermione grinned. Ron helped her sit down at the table, then he sat down beside her. Tom finished setting up the high chair, and summoned menus as Harry gently put James into the chair. Ginny sat down first, and Harry took the seat closer to James.

"So when does the world get to meet Baby Weasley?" Tom asked, as he set four menus in front of them.

"Anytime in the next few days, Tom," Hermione said, "Next time you see me, I might be walking in with Rose."

"I'll be delighted to meet her," Tom said, grinning, "What can I get the four of you to drink?"

Ron and Harry ordered a butterbeer each, while Harry and Ginny ordered iced tea.

"Nothing for James," Harry said, "We brought along stuff for him."

"Just as well," Tom said, "Don't exactly serve stuff meant for someone as young as him."

Tom chuckled lightly.

"Do you want the usual specials today or something different?" he asked.

Hermione looked at Ron, and he shrugged.

"Change of pace today," Hermione said.

"Yeah, same here," Harry said, and Ginny nodded.

"I'll be back with those drinks while you look at the menus," Tom said, smiling.

He bowed his head slightly and walked away. Harry took his wand from his pocket, and pointed it at a small bag that was attached to the baby stroller. A baby bottle floated out and landed in front of James. Ron grinned behind his menu, as he watched Harry help his son with the bottle.

"Glad you could make it," Ginny said to Ron and Hermione.

"Almost didn't," Hermione said, glaring at Ron. "Ron's gotten very protective ever since he realized I'm down to just a few days before Rose is expected to be born."

"We're here, aren't we?" Ron asked Hermione.

Hermione smiled.

"Harry was the same way when I was that close to my due-date," Ginny said, "Weren't you, Harry?"

Harry, who was more focused on helping James with the bottle, just grinned.

"You should consider yourselves lucky," Ginny said. "You have Helen staying with you. Mum was staying with us, but it didn't help much. Dad's the one who knows how to drive a car, and he wasn't there. We had to take the Knight Bus, and believe me, you do not want to have to resort to using that to get to the hospital, especially when you're in the beginning stages of having your child."

"I didn't know you had to do that!" Ron said, looking at Hermione, "Did you?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Not exactly something we like to talk about too much," Harry said, chuckling, "There you go, James. How's that?"

James gave a muffled sigh as he sucked on the bottle.

"Just saying," Ginny said, "I'd rather have an at-home birth this time instead of taking the Knight Bus."

"My Mum's ready and willing to take me in her car," Hermione said, "She's even prepared the back seat for me to lay in."

"I considered magically expanding it for Hermione," Ron said, "So she'd be the most comfortable. But, well -"

Ron glanced sideways at Hermione, who shook her head.

"I shot that down immediately," she said. "I'd rather be uncomfortable than having to deal with my Mum's reactions at her modified car."

"Can't be as uncomfortable as that Knight Bus was," Harry said.

"Or childbirth itself," Hermione said.

Ron noticed that Ginny was frowning. Ron was about to speak up to Ginny and tell her to reassure Hermione she'd be fine, but right at that time, Tom returned with their drinks. The four of them ordered their choices of lunch, and Tom took the menus and walked away, saying their meals would be ready in twenty minutes or less.

In his baby-chair, James started crying, and Harry looked at him.

"Think he needs changing," Harry said.

"Do you want me to do it?" Ginny asked.

"No, I can do it," Harry said.

"Go with him," Hermione said to Ron.

"What?" Ron asked.

"You need more practice with changing a nappy," Hermione said, "Go."

Ron sighed and stood up.

"I'll go with you, mate," he said, as Harry picked up James from the chair.

Harry nodded. Ron took the diaper bag from James' stroller and followed Harry toward the bathroom.

"Guess Tom also invested in a changing table," Ron said, chuckling, as he walked through the door and noticed the table on the other side of the bathroom.

"So down to just a few days, huh?" Harry asked, as he gently set James on the changing table.

"Dr. Sterling says Rose could come at any time in the next few days, yeah," Ron said, nodding.

"You ready for her?" Harry asked.

"Sometimes I'm not so sure," Ron asked, "But yeah, I think I am."

Harry grinned and took the diaper bag from Ron.

"I felt the same way just a few days before James was born," Harry said. "You may look at me now and say I'm a natural father, but back when James was born, there were moments when I was freezing up too."

"Not exactly something I want to hear, mate," Ron said, chuckling nervously.

"You'll get used to it, Ron," Harry said, "I'm sure you're going to be a great father."

"Thanks," Ron said.

"Do you want to try this?" Harry asked, offering Ron a nappy, "Since you need the practice?"

"I'll give it my best shot," Ron said.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – May 13<strong>**th****, 2006 – after Ron left with Harry)**

Hermione took a drink from her glass of tea as she watched Ron walk into the bathroom.

"So Hermione," Ginny said, "I can't help but see that you're a bit frightened about the whole childbirth thing."

"I thought I was ready for it," Hermione said, "But now that I'm so close, I'm having doubts that I ever really was ready."

"What are you mostly worried about?" Ginny asked.

"Funny enough," Hermione said, "I'm worried about how uncomfortable I'll be."

"It won't all be uncomfortable," Ginny said, "If your routine goes anything like the same way mine did. I'm not sure if it will or not, since you've opted to go to a Muggle doctor for it all. But there are times where I had, what I like to call, time to breathe. It wasn't until it all came down to the last portion of it where I really had to work it. I mean... you do realize the whole thing, once you're finally in the middle of it all, is going to take a good four-to-six hours, right?"

"I read about that," Hermione said, before taking a sip of tea and swallowing, "But I wasn't sure."

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Once it started, and James basically said 'hey, I want out of here!', it took close to six hours before I had him in my arms. But there will be moments in that four-to-six hours where you'll just be sitting there waiting for something to happen. Part of the time, I was wondering if James really wasn't ready to be born, and then boom, it all continues."

Hermione grimaced.

"Sorry," Ginny said, "Probably not something you're up to hearing at the moment."

"No, I need to hear this," Hermione said, nodding, "Since I'm that close."

"How close exactly?" Ginny asked.

"The original due-date was next Friday," Hermione said, shrugging. "but from what Dr. Sterling said, it could be anytime between this minute and next Friday. Ron and I haven't even thought about how we're going to let everyone know when it happens. I mean... you and your family are going to want to be in the hospital around that time, right?"

"It's tradition for our family," Ginny said, grinning. "Actually I have an idea for you, now that you mention it."

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"When it is time for your baby to be born," Ginny said, "No matter what time of the day it is, have Ron send Pigwidgeon to my house with no letter in his talons. He's just ten or fifteen minutes flying distance from Grimmauld Place, so we'll probably know by the time you're at the hospital. That will be the sign to tell me to get everyone to the hospital."

"Brilliant," Hermione said, "Hadn't thought about that."

"Just gives you one less thing to worry about," Ginny said, smiling.

"Thanks," Hermione said, "I could use a fair share of those these days."

"You'll be fine, Hermione," Ginny said, "Ron will be right by your side, won't he?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well, then," Ginny said, "That's all you need to get through it."

Hermione smiled. A few minutes later, Ron and Harry returned to the table with James.

"You okay?" Ron asked Hermione, as he sat down beside her.

"Yeah," Hermione said, smiling as she took Ron's hand under the table, "Everything's great."

A moment later, Tom returned, though he didn't have food with him. Instead he had an owl perched on his oven mitt. Hermione recognized it as Draco's eagle owl.

"Owl Post for you," Tom said to Ron and Hermione.

"Thanks," Ron said.

Ron took the parchment from Tom and opened it. The owl then perched itself on the chair behind Ron.

"Probably wants a return answer to whatever this is," Ron said.

"I'll be back shortly with your lunch," Tom said, as he walked away.

Hermione nodded as she watched Ron read the letter.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"That's rather odd," Ron said, "Draco's invited Hermione and I over to his house on Sunday... to meet Scorpius."

Hermione grimaced.

"I forgot about that," she said. "He had mentioned it in his letter when he told me Scorpius was born."

"What should we say?" Ron asked.

"I'm not exactly up to traveling to their house," Hermione said.

"Do we even know where they live to begin with?" Ron asked, looking around the table.

Hermione, Harry and Ginny shrugged.

"We could always invite them over to our house," Hermione said.

"Really?" Ron asked. "You really want Draco Malfoy to know where we live?"

"Oh, come on," Hermione said. "It's rather nice for him to do this. But I'm not exactly in any state to go visit him. So we can invite him and Astoria and Scorpius to our house. What's wrong with inviting him?"

"You forget this is the guy who tormented us during our years at Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

"You forget we invited him to our wedding?" Hermione asked.

"I've always said that was a mistake," Ron said.

Hermione glared at Ron.

"Fine," Ron said, "Let's invite him."

"When does he want to set this up for?" Hermione asked.

"Sunday afternoon," Ron said.

"Invite him over to our house and explain why we can't go over there," Hermione said.

"Okay," Ron said. "What's the worst that can happen? He refuses? Oh, did I say worst. I meant best."

"Behave, Ron," Hermione said, rolling his eyes. "I think it will be nice to have them over. Hey..."

She looked at Harry and Ginny.

"What say you?" she asked, "Do you want to come too?"

"On Sunday?" Ginny asked. "Sorry, James' next appointment with the Healers is that day."

"We could always change it," Ron said.

"We're already asking this much of Draco, Ronald," Hermione said, as she opened her purse and dug through it looking for a quill and ink, "We don't need to change the date on them too."

"Fine," Ron said.

Hermione handed him a quill and a bottle of ink. Ron started writing the letter. A couple minutes later, he finished.

"Okay," Ron said, "Gave them the address. Invited them to our place Sunday at four. Let's see if they accept."

Ron fastened the letter to the owl, and he flew off.

"I really hope we don't regret this," Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She could understand why Ron was acting this way, but she really thought Draco was a changed person. Besides, she had been wanting to meet little Scorpius.

-  
><strong>I was going to Draco and Astoria's visit in the chapter, but I decided to have it wait until the next chapter. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how long the next chapter will be because of it. We're very close to Rose's arrival, I promise you. <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	31. Meet Scorpius Malfoy

**Chapter 31  
>Meet Scorpius Malfoy<strong>

**(Ron's PoV – May 15th, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: 40 Weeks)**

_Dear Rose,_  
><em>Date: May 15h, 2006<em>

_It is almost ten-o-clock in the morning, and your mother is still asleep. These past few days have been quite exhausting for her, and I find her asleep at random times of the day. She told me yesterday she's trying to get as much sleep as she can so she can be rested up whenever it is time for you to come into this world. I'm not exactly sure how this helps, but your mother has always been a lot smarter than me, so she probably knows what she's talking about. Just don't let her know I said that._

_I'm sitting here watching her sleep while I write a letter to you. I've always found it comforting to watch her sleep. I can never tell when she's dreaming, but I read somewhere everyone has three dreams during a full night's sleep, so she must be dreaming of something._

_Speaking of sleeping, yesterday I moved your crib into our bedroom so it can be ready when you arrive. Had to move a few things around so it can fit, but it is there in the corner of the room nearest your mother's side of the bed. She wants it closer to her so she can wake up and get to you when you need her. I told her I'd get up too, but she's decided to go that 'you'll-need your-sleep' route. I try to tell your mother it is her who will need her sleep, but she never listens to me when I say that._

_Your mother has hinted writing these type of letters to you even after you are born, but I'm not sure if I could see myself doing that. I imagine that when I'll be sitting here in the morning, and you'll be sleeping there in the crib, after having waken up who-knows-how-many times during the night, I'll find it more interesting to watch you sleep instead of writing letters to you. _

_So Draco Malfoy, his wife and new son are coming over to the house this afternoon. I was quite surprised when Draco accepted the invitation, since it wasn't something he had planned on. Your Mum says Draco probably realized it wasn't best for us to go out too much during these final days before you're born, and that he knew this was the best way for this get-together to happen. I'm not so sure of that though. Draco's never been very considerate of anyone's feelings beside his own. Your Mum says Draco's changed for the better ever since he married Astoria, but I don't see it. _

_If Scorpius ends up going to Hogwarts in eleven years, instead of Durmstrang like I am hoping for, you and him will be in the same year at Hogwarts. Seven years of you having to deal with Scorpius Malfoy. That isn't exactly something I'm looking forward to. I'm sure if your Mum ever found out I was writing something like this to you, she'd probably curse me or something. She's always been the kind of person who thinks it is better to be friends with people. You can have as many friends as you like... I encourage that. But the idea of you being friends with Scorpius Malfoy... well, we'll just have to talk about that when you're older... which would be when you're reading this. So expect that conversation sometime soon! _

_Counting down the days before you're here with us._

_Love,_  
><em>Dad<em>

Ron closed the diary and stood up from the bed. He walked over to Hermione's bedside table and put the diary in the drawer.

"I thought you didn't like writing your thoughts out," Hermione muttered, sleepily.

Ron smiled and bent down toward Hermione and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, softly.

Hermione smiled and Ron walked back around the bed and laid down beside her.

"Mmm, ten-o-clock already?" Hermione said, looking past Ron at the clock.

"You slept in quite a bit," Ron said.

"Well, I was up a few times during the night," Hermione said.

"Your pregnancy insomnia's back yet again?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "My back's been giving me troubles. Doesn't make sleep come too easily."

"Are you feeling okay now?" Ron asked.

"I'll deal with it," Hermione said, "It's just something Dr. Sterling said I'll be going through over the next few days. I think I'll just go take a warm bath. It always seems to do the trick."

"Do you want me to join you?" Ron asked, grinning. "I could give you a massage."

"I'm not exactly up to the thought of Mum walking in on us," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"That was one time!" Ron said. "Only because we didn't warn her. Besides, it is our house... our privilege!"

"She's our guest, Ronald," Hermione said.

"I appreciate that she's here, Hermione," Ron said, "It's just – you're the one telling me I should cherish these moments."

Hermione shook her head and grinned.

"Fine," Hermione said, "But I better not regret it."

"I'll go fill up the tub," Ron said.

Ron stood up and headed for the door.

"Ron?" Hermione asked.

Ron turned around.

"Could you help me get out of bed?" Hermione asked.

Ron grinned and nodded. He walked over to the bed then gently helped Hermione sit up, then stand up.

"Ugh," Hermione said, groaning. "I'm very much looking forward to being able to walk right again."

"I'm looking forward to you looking normal again," Ron said.

Hermione glared at Ron. He just chuckled and headed toward the bathroom.

A few minutes later, as Ron was getting into the bathtub, Hermione walked into the bathroom. She then closed the door and locked it.

"So?" Ron asked.

"She won't bother us," Hermione said, grinning.

She removed her robes and Ron helped her carefully step into the tub and sit between his legs.

"Mmm, exactly what I needed," Hermione said.

Ron smiled and Hermione laid her back against his chest.

"Mum's making a late breakfast for us, and it'll be done when we're finished," she said, "I told her to make it small since we're planning a big late lunch when Draco and Astoria arrive."

"Oh, she doesn't have to do that," Ron said. "She's done so much cooking these days."

"I tried to tell her that, but she insisted," Hermione said.

"So what is she doing today?" Ron asked.

"I guess she'll be around here all day," Hermione said, shrugging.

"Really?" Ron asked.

"She's here in case we need her, Ron," Hermione said, "Where else would she go?"

"I'm just not sure she'll be comfortable around Malfoy," Ron said.

"This is about Malfoy again?" Hermione said, sighing. "Oh, come on, Ron. Draco's nothing like he was when we knew him at Hogwarts. He's changed -"

"I know you think he's changed ever since Astoria's come into his life," Ron said.

"It's not just that," Hermione said. "Look, do you honestly think the Draco Malfoy we knew in Hogwarts would write letters to us?"

"No," Ron said, scoffing.

"And yet he informed us of his son's birth," Hermione said, "And suggested we meet Scorpius. That doesn't sound like the old Draco Malfoy to me. I mean... who knows, Ronald? You and him might find you have things in common."

"I doubt it," Ron scoffed.

"Oh, really?" Hermione asked, "What about the fact that you and him are new fathers? Him just this past month, and you – well – anytime in the next few days. How about that?"

"I can get all the Daddy advice I want from Harry and my brothers, Hermione," Ron said.

"That's completely beside the point," Hermione said.

"Okay," Ron said. "I'll give him a chance."

"That's all I ask," Hermione said, "Thank you."

Ron picked up the washcloth and soaked it with warm water then gently moved it against Hermione's back. Hermione smiled and moved forward a bit. She hissed quietly as she did, though Ron heard her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Just keep getting these shooting pains in my back," Hermione said, sighing.

"Should we go see Dr. Sterling?" Ron asked. "We could re-schedule this whole thing with Draco."

"No," Hermione said. "He'd tell me the same thing he told me a few days ago. I just need to get used to it over the next few days. I could use that massage though."

Ron smiled and rubbed his hands gently against Hermione's shoulders.

-_  
>(<em>**Hermione's PoV – May 15****th****, 2006)**

Hermione's backaches weren't the only problems for her over that day. She found herself having to use the loo every couple of hours. She also felt rather uncomfortable when sitting and adjusted herself on different seats and couches in the living room during the day.

A little bit before four in the afternoon, while she was waiting for the Malfoys to arrive, Hermione was laying on the couch against a couple of large pillows. Smells of food for the late lunch were drifting in from the kitchen.

Suddenly, Hermione heard the sounds of a car close by, and Hermione looked out of the window to see a taxi in the drive-way. A moment later, she could see a familiar blonde-headed man step out of the taxi.

"Ron," Hermione said, "They're here!"

"I didn't hear any sign of apparation," Ron said as he walked toward the living room.

"Guess they didn't want to apparate with the baby," Hermione said, "They took a taxi."

Hermione watched as Ron walked over to the front door. A couple minutes later, Astoria walked into the living room, carrying a baby seat. It was covered with a blanket, so Hermione couldn't see inside it.

"Hi, Hermione!" Astoria said, grinning.

"Have any trouble getting over here?" Hermione asked.

"The taxi driver knew where to go," Astoria said. "Draco wasn't very happy driving in a taxi though."

"I was fine," Draco said, outside the living room, "Just didn't know the trip would cost so much."

Hermione snickered at the thought of Draco having to deal with Muggle money and a cabbie. Draco walked into the living room. He looked rather funny carrying a diaper bag.

"Here you go, Astoria," Draco said.

Astoria smiled and sat down in the chair nearest Hermione. Ron walked into the living room, carrying a tray with glasses of tea. He offered a glass to Hermione and she took it.

"Would you like to meet Scorpius now?" Astoria asked.

"Can it wait?" Draco asked. "He's finally settled down to take a nap."

Astoria rolled her eyes in Draco's direction and gently pulled the blanket away from the baby seat. Hermione's eyes brightened. Scorpius was laying there, asleep. Hermione could see short strands of blonde hair on his head.

"Oh, Astoria, he's beautiful," Hermione said, grinning.

"He looks just like his father did as a baby," Astoria said. "Draco's parents have become more accustomed to me as of late, and they came over to our house a few days ago to visit Scorpius. Narcissa brought along pictures of Draco, and there was one of him as a baby."

"Definitely my son," Draco said.

Hermione smiled as she looked up at Draco. He looked so proud as he looked down at his son from the chair he was sitting in.

"I'm going to go see if Helen needs any more help," Ron said.

Hermione glared at Ron as he stood up and walked out of the room.

"What's up with him?" Draco asked.

"He's just anxious," Hermione said, "I'm due anytime now in the next few days, and we're dealing with so much right now."

"Draco was the same way," Astoria said, grinning.

"I was not!" Draco said.

"Draco, don't lie," Astoria said, then looked back at Hermione."There were times during my final few days before Scorpius was born that Draco wanted to rent out a room in St. Mungo's for me to stay in until the baby came. Sometimes I didn't think he could handle me."

"I handled you quite well, I think," Draco said.

"Yeah, right," Astoria said. "Draco, maybe you should go talk to Ron. If he's anxious these days, he needs someone to talk to about this. Since you went through it recently, and as you said you did 'quite well' with it, I'm sure he could use a good conversation with you. Right, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled.

"I'm sure he'd like to talk to you," she said.

"Fine," Draco said. "You'll be okay with Scorpius?"

"He's sleeping right now, Draco," Astoria said, "I think I can handle him."

"Call for me if you need anything," Draco said.

He stood up and walked out of the living room.

"Wow," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows, "He actually sounds like a father."

"I know, surprising, isn't it?" Astoria said, chuckling.

"Thanks for coming over," Hermione said. "I wasn't sure if Draco would be up to the fact that we reversed the invitation."

"He knows what you're going through," Astoria said, "We were happy to come over here instead. So any day now, huh?"

"The Muggle doctor says she could come anytime between now and Friday," Hermione said.

"You ready?" Astoria asked.

"I'm ready for her to be here, yeah," Hermione said, "But the whole thought of childbirth – still trying to get used to the thought of it. Between that and me dealing with these symptoms today, I'm going through a lot."

"Like what?" Astoria asked.

"Constant bathroom breaks," Hermione said, "And my back doesn't like me today."

"Backaches?" Astoria said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding.

"How bad?" Astoria asked.

"They're better when I relax like this," Hermione said, "But when I walk, I feel them. Why?"

"Could be nothing," Astoria said, "But I was dealing with those for a couple of days before Scorpius finally decided he wanted to come."

"Oh," Hermione said. "Well, my doctor did say I'd be dealing with these now until Rose comes."

Astoria opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Scorpius waking up and crying. Hermione could see Scorpius' beautiful grey eyes as they welled up with tears.

"Ohh," Hermione said, "Were we a little loud for you?"

"Is he okay, Astoria?" Draco called from the kitchen.

"He's fine, darling," Astoria said.

Astoria picked up Scorpius from the baby seat.

"Hmm, not wet or anything," Astoria said, "I bet he's hungry."

Astoria grimaced and looked at Hermione.

"I'd hate to ask," she said. "Well, I have to feed Scorpius by – well -"

Astoria paused and motioned toward her shirt.

"Oh, if you wish for a bit of privacy," Hermione said, "You can use Rose's bedroom. The rocking chair there would be perfect. It's what I'm going to be using. The room is just down the hall. Look for the one painted like the sky."

"Thank you, Hermione," Astoria said, "I'll be back shortly."

"Take your time," Hermione said.

Astoria smiled and stood up slowly with Scorpius. She walked out of the living room. Hermione reached for her glass of tea, then sat back and tried to relax herself. She felt a bit of pain in her back, and a bit of the tea in her glass sloshed out and dripped onto her. She motioned to call for Ron to ask for a towel, but as she sat up, she felt something wet below her. She looked at the tea... but she hadn't spilled that much, had she?

Then... Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what was going on...

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – May 15<strong>**th****, 2006)**

_A few minutes earlier..._

Ron walked into the kitchen where Helen was stirring a wooden spoon through a pot of mashed potatoes that were gradually becoming more solid.

"Need any help?" Ron asked.

"Oh, I can do this, Ron," Helen said, "You have guests."

"They're talking to Hermione," Ron said.

"Do you not like the Malfoys?" Helen asked.

"It's a long story, Helen," Ron said. "Draco was – well – me and him weren't the best of mates at Hogwarts. He was the school bully, I guess you could say. But Hermione says he's changed since then."

"Maybe he has," Helen said. "You were just kids back then. He's a father now. That changes a person, you know."

"It's certainly changing me," Ron said, "But -"

Ron heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Draco walking into the kitchen.

"I'm not sure if you two have officially met," Ron said. "Helen, this is Draco Malfoy. Draco, this is Hermione's mother, Helen."

"We met at your wedding," Draco said, "But it wasn't too much of a meeting. It is nice to formally meet you, Mrs. Granger."

"Pleasure is all mine, Draco," Helen said. "How's fatherhood treating you?"

"Takes a while to get used to," Draco said. "But Astoria says I'm a natural."

"I'm sure you are," Helen said, "If you excuse me, I need to go to the restroom."

"I'll take over on those potatoes," Ron said.

Helen smiled and walked out of the kitchen. Ron walked over to the stove and started to stir the spoon. As he stirred, he looked over his shoulder at Draco, who seemed as if was trying to figure out why he was standing there.

"Need anything?" Ron asked. "I think we have some butterbeer in the fridge."

"I'll wait for that," Draco said. "Actually I wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Draco said. "So – er - any day now and you'll be in my position."

"Any day now," Ron echoed.

"How do you feel about that?" Draco asked.

Ron raised his eyebrows. Draco was asking him about his feelings? He knew Astoria and Hermione must have encouraged him.

"Excited and nervous at the same time," Ron said.

"Same way I felt," Draco said, "Now look at me."

"Carrying diaper bags for your wife," Ron said, chuckling.

"Well, okay, I'll give you that one," Draco said.

"No, I know what you mean," Ron said. "I saw how you looked at your son in there. It's exactly how I'll look at my daughter."

"I can't believe it sometimes, you know," Draco said. "Even when Astoria told me she was pregnant, I couldn't picture myself as a father. And yet, here I stand today... talking to you, but both of my ears are open for any sound of Scorpius crying in case he needs me. Even though he's inches away from Astoria, who usually takes care of him. It's really mental to think about sometimes. I just feel – I don't know."

"You can tell me," Ron said.

"I look at Scorpius," Draco said, "And I wonder if my father ever looked at me like that. He's always been proud of me, of course. But he expected so much out of me. When I look at Scorpius, I'm not thinking of what I expect him to be when he's my age. I just look at him and think about how crazy it is that I'm his father."

"Have to be honest, Draco," Ron said. "Never really pictured you as the father type."

"To be honest, for a while neither did I," Draco said.

Ron chuckled. Suddenly, he heard Scorpius crying from the living room, Draco turned around.

"Is he okay, Astoria?" Draco asked, a little loudly.

"He's fine, darling," Astoria called from the living room.

Draco sighed and looked back at Ron.

"Probably hungry," Draco said, "That's Astoria's job."

Ron raised his eyebrows then chuckled when he realized what Draco meant.

"There's some things I'm definitely not ready for," Ron said.

"It'll come to you, Ron," Draco said. "You'll see."

"Yeah," Ron said, "At least I have a few days more to -"

"Ron!" Hermione yelled from the living room.

Ron dropped the wooden spoon and hurried past Draco and toward the living room. He ran over to Hermione, and his eyes widened when he noticed that the front of Hermione's dress that she wore for the occasion looked rather wet

"I think my water just broke," Hermione said.

"What?" Ron asked, "You mean -"

"I think the baby's coming, Ron!" Hermione said.

**Cliffhanger! I've been planning for this for a few days now, and I'm quite happy with how I wrote it. **

**The next chapter might take a couple days to write, because this will probably be one of the most difficult chapters I've ever written, and I want to do it perfectly. **

**Hope you liked this chapter!**


	32. Baby Makes Three: Part 1

**Chapter 32  
>Baby Makes Three: Part 1<strong>

**Author's Note: This chapter (and the next couple of chapters) will be going through different PoVs. To make it easier on how I write this whole thing, and to pass the time story-wise, I've decided to go to different characters, and a few besides Ron and Hermione as well. I'll still be in Hermione's PoV a lot during it though. Also, I've decided to split this whole portion of the story into different chapters. As you can see, this is Part 1. It is so I can space the whole thing out maybe get the chapters up quicker.**

**Also, throughout the childbirth chapters, I will be doing time-of-day on the PoV part as well just to let you know what time it is during the whole thing.**

**(Hermione's PoV – May 15th, 2006 – 4:25 PM)**

_"I think my water just broke," Hermione said._

_"What?" Ron asked, "You mean -"_

_"I think the baby's coming, Ron!" Hermione said._

"Oh, okay!" Ron said, trying to think quickly, "Er –"

Draco walked into the living room.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I think Hermione's in labor," Ron said, "Okay – er – Draco, go find Helen."

Draco nodded and ran out of the living room. Hermione breathed lightly as she looked up at Ron.

"Draco's gone to get your mother," Ron said.

"I heard that, Ron," Hermione said.

"Er, right," Ron said, "What do you need, anything? We'll get to the hospital and then everything will be fine."

"Ginny said this could take anywhere between four-to-six hours," Hermione said, "We have plenty of time."

Ron nodded and Helen ran into the room and over to Hermione.

"Okay, Hermione," Helen said, "We have plenty of time to get you to the hospital. I'm going to go start the car. Have you felt any contractions or cramps or anything."

"Cramps," Hermione said, "But -"

"Okay, they're not that strong yet," Helen said, "Good. Ron – and –

Draco walked back into the room.

"Oh Draco, there you are," Helen said, "You two help Hermione get to the car. Carefully, you two. You'll be just fine, Hermione."

Hermione nodded. Helen left the room, and the door opened and closed. As Ron reached around one of her arms, Hermione felt a light pain in her groin and groaned lightly. Ron backed up suddenly.

"Okay, that one I felt," Hermione said.

"Those are the contractions your mother mentioned," Draco said, "I remember Astoria going through this. Ron, can you keep time on how long between that happens before you get to the hospital. Most of the time you'll know when she makes that noise."

"Yeah, just come and help me, Draco," Ron said, then looked down at Hermione. "Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded then frowned as she looked at herself.

"My poor dress is soaked," she said, sighing.

"We'll get you a new dress, Hermione," Ron said, chuckling.

Ron took one of Hermione's arms again, and Draco gently took the other. Hermione nodded and they helped her stand up. As they walked out of the living room, Astoria walked over with Scorpius in her arms.

"We're going to have to delay that dinner get-together, Astoria," Hermione said, grinning.

"You just concentrate on bringing your daughter into the world," Astoria said, "I'll clean up the food for you two."

Ron and Draco helped Hermione outside. The car had already started.

"Ron," Hermione said, as Ron helped her into the back seat, "We need to let your family know."

Hermione laid across the seat, and took up three-fourths of the seat.

"I think that can wait, Hermione," Ron said.

"No, just send Pig to Ginny," Hermione said, "No letter needed. She'll know."

"Okay," Ron said, "If you say so."

"Ron, while you're in there," Helen said, "Go into Rose's room. You'll find a duffle bag I've prepared for this."

Ron looked back at Hermione.

"Just go," Hermione said, "I'm okay for now."

Ron nodded and walked away from the car.

"Breathe, Hermione," Helen said, "It'll make everything easier."

Remembering her breathing practices, she inhaled then exhaled and breathed three short breaths.

"Good work," Helen said. "Once we get going, it should take about twenty minutes to get to the hospital."

Hermione nodded. She inhaled and exhaled again. Ron hurried back to the car, carrying a large bag with him. He stepped into the car, sitting at the end of Hermione's legs, and put the bag in the area behind him.

"Thing is rather heavy," Ron said.

"In the bag," Helen said, to Ron, as she started pulling the car away, "is a pillow and a blanket, as well as some other things. Get the pillow out for Hermione. We need to make her comfortable as possible."

"Er... right," Ron said.

Ron reached over the back of the seat, and pulled out a pillow for Hermione and handed it to her. She put it behind her head.

"Pig's on his way," Ron said, "If he's quick, he should get there before we get to the hospital. Our family should be there before too long."

"What about Dad?" Hermione asked her mother.

"I'll call him when everything is settled with you," Helen said, as the car reached the end of the street, "That is all I'm focused on. Keep doing that breathing if you feel any contractions coming. Have you felt anything yet?"

"A light one close to seven minutes ago," Hermione said, "Nothing since."

"It is just mild right now then," Helen said, "That is very good. It means you still have a ways to go. That will give us enough time to get you to the hospital and get you comfortably there before things progress. It is when you start feeling them five minutes apart from each other, that is when you know you're getting closer."

Ron reached over and took Hermione's hand and she smiled up at him.

"How are you feeling?" Ron asked, "Nervous?"

"Not yet," Hermione said, "Still trying to get through my head what is going on. I didn't expect this until more into the week."

"Is that a bad thing?" Ron asked, looking at Helen, "Dr. Sterling said she wasn't due until Friday."

"She's in week forty," Helen said, "That's full-term. There's nothing to worry about."

"Dr. Sterling's not a Seer, Ron," Hermione said, "Besides, he did say it could come any time. She just decided to come at the start of the week instead of the end of it."

"Oh, I wasn't ready for this," Ron said, shaking his head, "I thought we'd just have a nice quiet evening with Draco and Astoria."

A few minutes later, they pulled onto the highway, which meant they were halfway through their trip. Hermione hissed and groaned as she felt another cramping pain in her groin.

"There's another one," Hermione said, taking deep breaths.

"That's – er – about fifteen minutes since the last one," Ron said.

"She's still in the first stage," Helen said, "This one will take the longest. You'll be feeling those every ten to fifteen minutes now. Could actually be a little while before they become closer."

"How long until she's born, do you think?" Ron asked.

"I'm no doctor," Helen said, "But these usually take four-to-six hours from the time when the water breaks. You okay, Hermione? Comfortable?"

"More comfortable than I thought I'd be," Hermione said, chuckling nervously.

"That's great," Helen said, "We need to decide what to tell Dr. Sterling. Though I wouldn't suggest a natural birth since you're worried about comfort."

"Natural?" Ron asked.

"Meaning no medicine or aide to help Hermione through the birth," Helen said. "I had a local anesthesia on me. Means I was still aware of everything, but the pain was a lot more mild."

"Sounds good to me," Hermione said, "Let's just get there, Mum."

"We'll be there, Hermione," Helen said, "Thankfully we're beating rush hour. Rose has picked a very good time of the day to come."

"Er... rush hour?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione.

"I'll explain later," Hermione said, chuckling.

-  
><strong>(Ginny's PoV – May 15<strong>**th****, 2006 – 4:50PM)**

Ginny was sitting in a rocking chair, in the living room of Grimmauld Place. James was in cuddled in her arms, and Ginny was feeding him from his bottle.

Harry walked into the room, and sat down in a chair on the other side of the room. Ginny noticed he looked kind of bothered about something.

"Something wrong?" Ginny asked.

"I can't find Kreacher," Harry said. "I think he's been avoiding me all day."

"What?" Ginny asked, chuckling.

"Well, his hotcakes he usually makes us for breakfast this morning weren't up to their usual standards, were they?" Harry asked.

"So, he's put off his cooking," Ginny said. "Harry, Kreacher's not exactly a young house-elf. He's getting older."

"I just hope he hasn't gone off somewhere and died," Harry said.

"Like you said," Ginny said, "He's probably avoiding you."

"I think I know why he's avoiding me," Harry said, scoffing.

"Care to enlighten me?" Ginny asked.

"Well, we're expecting Kayla here soon, right?" Harry asked, "To babysit James?"

Ginny nodded. Harry had surprised Ginny a couple days ago with the idea of going out that evening for a romantic dinner by themselves. It would be their first romantic outing in quite a while. It was something Ginny was looking forward to.

"Well, this is the first time Kayla's done babysitting since we moved here into Grimmauld Place," Harry said. "Kreacher hasn't met Kayla. I think that is why he's upset. He probably thinks we're replacing him or something."

"Well, just find him and explain that Kayla is James' babysitter," Ginny said, "Not a replacement for a house-elf."

"Sure, if I can find him," Harry said.

James burped and started crying softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey," Ginny said, cuddling James against her, "I was too occupied talking to Daddy to pay attention to you."

"He's probably tired," Harry said. "He's had a long day, what with the check-up at St. Mungo's and everything."

"Probably right," Ginny said, "I'll put him to bed."

"I'll be up shortly to say good night to him," Harry said, "Leave the bottle here, I'll clean it up."

Ginny smiled and stood up carefully then headed out of the living room and upstairs toward James' room. She arrived at the room and walked into it, then headed over to the crib. She gently set James down and covered him softly, then bent down and kissed him on the forehead.

"Good night, darling," Ginny said, gently.

Suddenly, Ginny heard a light tapping sound from somewhere nearby. She looked up at the window and saw the tiny owl, Pig, perched on the windowsill. Ginny walked over to the window and opened it. Pig flew into the room and perched himself on the corner of James' crib. Ginny walked over to him, expecting to take a roll of parchment from him... and found he had nothing in his talons. She stared at the owl for a moment, when a sudden thought came to her head.

"Oh," Ginny said, her eyes widening, "Oh!"

Ginny turned and headed toward the doorway of the room. She then turned back and looked at Pig.

"Thank you!" she said, "Thank you very much. You may go."

Ginny took a last look at James, who had fallen asleep, and turned off the light, then shut the door quietly. She walked down the stairs, and found Harry still sitting in the living room.

"Harry," Ginny said, "It's happening."

Harry looked back at Ginny.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"Pigwidgeon just showed up at James' window," Ginny said.

"He have a letter?" Harry asked, "What did it say?"

"He didn't have a letter," Ginny said, grinning.

"Okay," Harry said, slowly.

"Harry, it's a code!" Ginny said, sighing, "One that I taught to Hermione. If Pig came to our house with no letter in his talons, it meant that Hermione's ready to have her baby. Ron probably sent Pig right before they went off to the hospital. Harry, I think Hermione's in labor!"

"Oh," Harry said, then stood up quickly from his chair, "Oh!"

"We need to tell my parents," Ginny said, "So that they can tell everyone else. Tell them using the Floo network. They're probably going to that Muggle hospital. Oh, why didn't I ever care to find out the address? Mum probably knows but I doubt we'll get two words out of her that make any sense. Do we have a Muggle phone book?"

"In the kitchen, maybe?" Harry guessed, as he walked over to the fireplace.

"Okay," Ginny said, "I'll go look for it. Just contact my Mum."

"Ginny, relax," Harry said. "You said Ron would tell Pig to come here as soon as Hermione started labor. Meaning, it probably took fifteen minutes for Pig to get here. That means -"

"Hermione has four to six hours to go," Ginny said, nodding, "We have plenty of time to get to the hospital."

"Right," Harry said, "Calm down. Don't need you all worried or anything since you're pregnant as well, remember?"

"I'm fine, Harry," Ginny said, waving her hands dismissively, "Oh, we're about to have another niece! This is so exciting!"

"We have to wait for Kayla, remember?" Harry asked.

"Right," Ginny said, sighing, "If she doesn't get here soon, I'm firing her!"

She headed out of the living room.

"Can't go to the hospital if we fire her, Gin," Harry said.

"You worry about contacting my parents!" Ginny said, "I'll worry about firing Kayla or not."

Ginny heard Harry groan, and she grinned as she headed for the kitchen.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – May 15<strong>**th****, 2006 – 5:05)**

Meanwhile, Ron, Hermione and Helen had arrived at a tiny complication en route to the hospital. As soon as they got off the highway, and onto the street that would lead them to the hospital, they found there was a long line of backed-up cars all along the road.

"Oh, come on!" Helen growled, "We don't need this right now!"

"Mum, it's okay," Hermione said, "We have plenty of time."

"The cars aren't even moving," Helen said. "What is going on?"

She rolled down her window.

"Come on!" Helen said, "We have a lady with a baby here!"

"Smooth, Mum," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "Thanks for telling everyone I'm in labor!"

"Okay," Helen said, "Stay here. I think I know what is going on. I see a couple of police cars up ahead. Perhaps if I explain the situation to them, they can let us through."

Ron opened his mouth to suggest he do it, but Helen opened the car door and stepped out of the car, then headed down the road.

"I could have done that," Ron said.

"Oh yeah?" Hermione asked, "What would you have done? Shown them your badge?"

"Sure!" Ron said.

"Uh-huh," Hermione said, "I don't think everyday Muggle police know about Aurors, Ronald."

"Well, I could have – I don't know – Imperiused them or something!" Ron said.

"You will not!" Hermione said, "This is no occasion for Unforgivable Curses."

"But you're in labor, Hermione," Ron said.

"The first stage, Ron," Hermione said, "I still have at least four hours until Rose decides to come out. I think I can -"

Hermione grimaced and groaned a little louder than last time.

"Another one?" Ron asked, squeezing Hermione's hand.

"Yeah," Hermione said, inhaling deeply and exhaling.

"That's – er – fourteen minutes since the last one," Ron said, "They're speeding up."

"Only by a minute," Hermione said.

"That's it," Ron said, reaching for the car door, "I'm going to Imperius somebody."

"And leave me here alone?" Hermione asked, as she gripped Ron's hand harder.

Ron paused.

"I didn't think about that," he said, sighing, "Bloody hell!"

"Ron, calm down," Hermione said.

"I just didn't expect we'd go through this yet, Hermione," Ron said.

He looked at Hermione who was looking back at him.

"You're ready for this?" he asked.

"I think I'll be okay," Hermione said.

"I'm here with you," Ron said. "I'm not going to leave your side. I promise."

"Uh-huh," Hermione said. "A minute ago, you were ready to get out and leave, just to use an Unforgivable Curse on a Muggle policeman."

Ron grinned.

"You got me there," he said.

Hermione chuckled. Ron looked out the front window and saw Helen walking back toward them. She was being followed by a police car slowly backing up in their direction. Helen reached the car door and stepped inside.

"I got good news and even better news," Helen said. "Good news... we have a police escort to the hospital."

"And the even better news?" Hermione asked.

"They believed me," Helen said, "So I didn't get arrested!"

Ron glanced sideways at Hermione. She grinned and he chuckled lightly.

"How you doing, sweetheart?" Helen asked, as she turned the car onto the side of the road behind the police car and headed down the road.

"Hermione just went through," Ron said, "Another one of those contract thingies."

"Contractions," Hermione said.

"This one was fourteen minutes after the last," Ron said.

"Still plenty of time," Helen said. "Very good news. Oh, your father is going to be in such a mess when I tell him. He was planning on just having a lay-in this evening. Now look at us."

"Was expecting a lay-in myself, Mum," Hermione said.

"None of us expected this," Helen said, "But here we are. You okay back there, Ron?"

Ron nodded nervously.

"He's doing just fine, Mum," Hermione said, smiling.

Ron looked at Hermione.

"I love you," he whispered to her.

"I love you more," Hermione whispered back, grinning.

Ron smiled and leaned toward their enclosed hands and kissed Hermione's knuckles. He massaged her fingers lightly with his as they headed off down the road toward the hospital.

-  
><strong>This is definitely much easier to write with the thought of separating it into parts instead of doing one chapter. I can do a lot more with it! And I wrote this chapter a lot quicker than I thought I would!<strong>

Hope you like it so far! More to come!


	33. Baby Makes Three: Part 2

**Chapter 33  
>Baby Makes Three: Part 2<strong>

**Author's Note: My apologies if there are any inconsistencies with normal childbirth and what happens in the next couple of chapters.**

**(Ron's PoV – May 15th, 2006 – 5:20PM)**

What usually only took twenty minutes to get to the hospital had taken double that time. It had nearly been an hour since Hermione's water broke, when the car drove up the hospital driveway behind the police car, and parked outside the front of the hospital. Helen stepped out of the car as the police officer walked toward them. Ron waved at him as he looked in the car at him and Hermione.

"I can go in and get a doctor for you," Ron heard the policeman say to Helen.

"Thank you very much, officer," Helen said.

"Not every day I get to do something like this," he said.

Ron tried his best not to roll his eyes. As the police officer headed into the hospital, Ron opened the door and stepped out.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" he asked, looking back at her.

"I'm fine, Ron," Hermione said.

"Keep doing those breathing practices, Hermione," Helen said, "They help."

"I'll do that with you," Ron said, looking over his shoulder for any sign of the police officer.

He inhaled and exhaled, as Hermione did the same. Except her exhaling was interrupted by another groan.

"Er... that's about ten minutes apart now," Ron said, "They're getting a lot quicker. Is everything okay, Helen?"

"Rose might be coming faster than expected," Helen said, "But the good news is it isn't five minutes between contractions yet."

Ron looked back at Hermione to ask her how she was doing, but was interrupted by a noise behind him. He turned around and saw the police officer, accompanied by a lady. She was rolling a wheelchair in front of her. As soon as the wheelchair arrived outside the car door, Ron gently helped Hermione out of the car and into the chair.

"How many minutes between contractions?" the nurse asked, as she pushed Hermione's wheelchair toward the hospital.

"Ten now," Hermione said, as she took deep breaths, "Another one just happened a minute ago or so."

"Okay," the nurse said, "Can I get your name?"

"Hermione Weasley," Hermione said.

"Hermione, is this the normal hospital you came in for check-ups?" the nurse asked, "If so, who is your doctor."

"Yes," Hermione said, "Dr. Sterling."

"Busy day for Dr. Sterling," the nurse said, "I believe he is going through this same process with another new Mum as we speak. But when we get you situated, I'll have him notified of your arrival."

They arrived through the doors, and headed down a long hallway.

"Hermione," Helen said, "I'm going to find a phone and call your father. Will you be okay?"

"Ron's here with me," Hermione said, "I'll be fine."

Ron smiled and nodded as he looked at Helen.

"Can you wait for my family, Helen?" he asked, "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Of course, Ron," Helen said.

She gently patted Hermione's shoulder and Hermione smiled up at her. Helen then walked off in another direction. Soon, they were going through a doorway into a small room. Inside were sinks and hospital robes and a doctor on hand. Another door was seen on the other side of the room.

"Ron, was it?" the nurse behind Hermione's wheelchair asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"If you will stay here for a moment," the nurse said, "Eddie here..."

She motioned to the other nurse.

"... will help you get into hospital robes and prepare you for what will be going on," she said.

Ron looked from the nurse to Hermione.

"Just procedure, Ron," Hermione said, "I'll just be in that room."

"You'll be with her in a couple of minutes," Eddie said.

Ron squeezed Hermione's hand and she smiled at him. Ron smiled back and the nurse pushed the wheelchair through the doorway.

"Okay," Eddie said, "We'll get you in a clean hospital gown and mask. This is just routine for all spouses – I will assume you're her spouse?"

"Her husband, yes," Ron said, nodding.

"Is this your wife's first birth?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, nodding.

"Are you prone to fainting at the sight of blood?" Eddie asked.

"Blood?" Ron asked, looking at the door where Hermione went through.

"Routine for childbirth," Eddie said, "Your wife will be just fine."

"Oh," Ron said, "No, I've dealt with blood many times. I'm an Au- I mean, I'm sort of a policeman."

"Wonderful," Eddie said.

Eddie opened a cupboard above a sink and pulled out a light-blue hospital gown and mask, as well as some white rubber gloves.

"Cover your clothes and face with these," Eddie said, "Then wash up with soap, and put these gloves on your hands. Then you'll be ready to go to your wife."

As Eddie went into the room where Hermione was in, Ron put on the gown. As he was washing up, he heard a voice overhead.

"Dr. Sterling to Maternity Ward," the p.a system said, "Dr. Sterling to Maternity Ward. Room B."

Ron dried off his hands and put on the gloves. He inhaled deeply, exhaled and walked through the doorway into the next room. Hermione was out of her dress and into a hospital gown. She was on a long hospital bed, in a position between sitting and laying. She smiled when she saw Ron, and he walked over to her.

"You okay?" he asked, taking Hermione's hand in his.

"We're here," Hermione said, "That's all that matters."

"Didn't I promise you we'd be at the hospital for this?" Ron asked, smiling.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Though... you broke your other promise."

"What?" Ron asked.

"You promised you'd always be by my side for this," Hermione said.

"I had to put on this bloody gown, Hermione," Ron said, "Believe me, I wouldn't have done it if I had a choice."

Hermione squeezed Ron's hand softly.

"I'm joking, Ron," she said, "Relax."

Ron grinned and kissed Hermione's forehead. As he did, Hermione groaned again, a bit louder than she had been. Ron backed away slowly.

"Another contraction?" the nurse asked.

Hermione nodded.

"I'd say that is about eight minutes since your last," the nurse said, "If the timing is right. They're getting quicker."

"Is that bad?" Ron asked the nurse.

"No," the nurse said, "If these keep up, your baby will be here sometime shortly after nightfall."

"In the next three hours?" Ron asked.

"Or less," the nurse said.

Ron's eyes widened, and he looked at Hermione. She smiled slightly as she inhaled and exhaled. Ron heard the door open behind him and he looked over his shoulder. Dr. Sterling was walking into the room, dressed in a clean gown.

"I was wondering if it was you I was being called upon," Dr. Sterling said, as he walked over to Hermione and Ron, "How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"Ready to hold my baby," Hermione said, chuckling nervously.

"She'll be in your arms before too long," Dr. Sterling said, "I'm going to prep you for everything now. We'll monitor your heartbeat and blood pressure. Have you decided on a natural childbirth, or the aide of medicine?"

"My Mum said something about local?" Hermione asked, shrugging.

"Good choice," Dr. Sterling said, as he pulled a machine toward the bed, "It will take some of the pressure off of you, but you'll still feel it a bit. Completely safe for baby Rose, as well."

Dr. Sterling looked up at Ron.

"Ah, I almost forgot, Mr. Weasley," he said, "That lovely lady that I believe is your mother is here in the hospital. She met me as I was passing the ward's waiting room, just down the hall."

"She's already here?" Ron asked.

He looked at Hermione.

"You should go to her," Hermione said, "Tell her what is going on. She'll want to know."

"Hermione," Ron said, "I promised I wouldn't leave your side."

"The baby isn't coming right this minute, Ronald," Hermione said, "You have time to let our family know. You can break this promise for now. You'll be back."

"If anything happens, Mr. Weasley," Dr. Sterling said, "I promise I'll send somebody to find you. You won't miss anything too important. We're just going through early prep here right now. When you get back, you'll have to wash up again, though."

Ron sighed. He then leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly.

"I'll be back here soon," he said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Hermione said, smiling.

Ron squeezed Hermione's hand, and backed away. As he left the room, he heard Dr. Sterling talking to Hermione about the routine procedure. Ron walked out of the room and into the hallway. He looked around for any sign of the waiting room, and saw a sign that read "waiting room" with an arrow that pointed down the hall. He hurried down the hall, looking for more signs, and found another one just above a doorway. He walked through the doorway, and found his mother, father and Bill sitting in chairs across the room. He walked over to them, and as soon as his mother saw Ron, she jumped up and hurried over to him and hugged him.

"We just got the news from Harry and Ginny a little while ago," she said, "And we started to inform the whole family. How is she?"

"She's fine right now, Mum," Ron said, "The doctor said it could be another three hours or so."

"Three hours," Mrs. Weasley breathed. "Are you ready for this?"

"I am, Mum," Ron said, "Is Harry and Ginny here yet?"

"No," Mrs. Weasley said, "I gave them the address for the hospital, but with Ginny's pregnancy, she can't apparate. So they probably have to take some other means of getting here. Harry did say they would have to wait for James' babysitter though."

"The rest of the family will be here soon," Bill said, "Fleur's at the Burrow with the kids. She wanted to come, but it was on such short notice..."

"Okay, I need to get back to Hermione," Ron said.

"Ron, I'm sure she's fine," Bill said. "You said three hours, right? It'll be a while. Take a breather. You won't get many of these soon. You'll be just as tired as Hermione when this is all said and done."

"Do you need anything?" Mr. Weasley asked Ron, "I saw some interesting machines down the hall that served coffee and tea for Muggle money."

Ron sighed audibly and sank into a chair.

"I could use some tea," he said, nodding.

Ron stared at the white-plastered wall a few feet away. He couldn't believe how the day's events had turned out. In just a few hours, he would be able to hold Rose in his arms. Forty weeks had all come down to roughly three hours.

-  
><strong>(Ginny's PoV – May 15<strong>**th****, 2006 – 5:45PM)**

"Welcome to the Knight Bus," Stan Shunpike said, "emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is..."

"We know who you are, Stan," Harry said, as Ginny followed him onto the Knight Bus, "We need to get to the hospital. Quickly."

"Right!" Stan said.

He motioned to Merle, the driver of the Knight Bus who had replaced Ernie a few months ago, after he had passed away one night.

"Hey, Merle!" Stan said, "St. Mun-"

"No, not St. Mungo's!" Ginny said, as she carefully sat down in a seat, "The Muggle hospital. Go!"

She gave the address to the hospital.

"You heard her, Merle!" Stan said, "Step on it!"

The bus jolted forward up Grimmauld Street, sending Harry back hastily against the seat near Ginny's. Ginny chuckled and Harry rolled his eyes as he stood up. He paid Stan for the money, and sat down beside Ginny.

"A Muggle hospital?" Stan asked, "Why you headed there?"

"Hermione's having her baby there," Ginny said.

"Hermione?" Stan asked, raising eyebrows, then his expression dawned, "Oh, Hermione! Well, congratulations to her! I wondered when she'd have that little one. She'd been waddling on and off this bus here for Merlin knows how long! And what about you, Ginny? Your second little one coming any time soon?"

"Not for a few months, Stan," Ginny said.

"I still remember what it was like when you had your first one," Stan said, "You had to go to St. Mungo's riding this here Knight Bus."

Ginny nodded. She remembered that night too...

_Flashback:_

_April 17th, 2005_

_"Welcome to the Knight Bus," Stan Shunpike said, "emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is..."_

_"I know who you bloody are!" Ginny growled, as Harry helped her onto the Knight Bus, "I'm in labor here, we need to get to St. Mungo's now!"_

_"Labor?" Stan asked, "Oh... oh! Eh, Ern! St. Mungo's, stat! Lady with a baby!"_

_Harry helped Ginny reach a seat just in time, before the Knight Bus sped off down the road. _

_"Ginny, your pyjama bottoms are soaked," Harry said._

_"It's not my fault my water broke just as I was getting ready for bed!" Ginny said, inhaling and exhaling as she glared at her husband._

_"Okay, calm down, Ginny," Harry said._

_"Don't tell me to calm down, Harry!" Ginny said, "I'm in labor, and my Mum picked a bloody good night to go spend time with Dad! She could have been here helping me with this."_

_"I can help you, Ginny," Harry said, "I'm here. Just breathe."_

_Ginny inhaled, just as the Knight Bus turned a corner. She almost fell out of her seat, but Harry held onto her._

_"Can we slow down a bit?" Harry asked Stan._

_"No!" Ginny said, "We will not slow down! Keep that speed, Ernie!"_

_"You heard the lady, Ern," Stan said, grinning, "Keep the speed."_

_"Ginny, you could fall and hurt yourself," Harry said._

_"Harry, I'm not having my baby on the bloody Knight Bus!" Ginny growled._

_"You probably have a couple of hours before he's ready to come," Harry said._

_"I don't care!" Ginny said, "Keep the speed, Ernie."_

_Ginny groaned as she felt another contraction._

_"Another one?" Harry asked._

_"Yeah, how many minutes since the last?" Ginny asked._

_"Er..." Harry said._

_"Harry, I told you to keep track of the time!" Ginny said._

_"Twelve minutes," Harry said, "Okay?"_

_"Harry," Ginny said, "If you don't do your part in this, I'm changing our son's name!"_

_"You don't like the name James?" Harry asked._

_"That's not the point!" Ginny said._

_"Is this a bad time to say I need payment for this ride?" Stan asked._

_Ginny glared at Stan._

_"Never mind," Stan said, "It's on the house – er – bus!"_

_Flashback ends..._

The Knight Bus took a sudden turn onto a street, which snapped Ginny out of her reverie.

"Harry," Ginny said, "I swear to Merlin, if we have to be on this Knight Bus while I'm in labor for this baby, you will have a Bat-Bogey curse on you so bad, our grandchildren will feel it."

Harry raised his eyebrows at the sudden outburst.

"I'll start leaning a spell strong enough to block that then," he said, grinning.

Ginny rolled her eyes. She didn't talk to him for the rest of the bus ride.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – May 15<strong>**th****, 2006 – 6:10PM)**

Ron was still in the waiting room, slowly drinking from what was now his second cup of tea. Across the room, Hermione's father, who had arrived a couple minutes beforehand, was looking rather nervous. Ron wanted to talk to him, but his nerves seem to quiet him down. Ron gulped down the rest of his tea, and was about to leave the room when George and Angelina walked into the room.

"Little brother!" George said, walking over to Ron and patting him on the back, "Shouldn't you be in with your wife? Or did she kick you out of the room?"

"Just been taking a breather, George," Ron said, "I'm about to go back to her."

"We would have been here sooner," Angelina said, "But I had to drop Fred off at my mother's house. So any time, huh?"

"Next couple of hours or so," Ron said.

"This is definitely a first!" George said, "A Weasley being born in a Muggle hospital."

"George, quiet down," Angelina said, "A right state it would be if those security men we passed by came in and asked us what a Muggle was."

"All right, I'm going back to Hermione," Ron said.

"Good luck, little brother," George said.

Ron's mother, sensing he was about to leave the room, walked over to Ron and hugged him.

"Your daughter will be in your arms soon, Ron," she said, "Give Hermione our best."

"I will, Mum," Ron said.

He released himself from his mother's grip and walked out of the room. When he turned down the hall, he saw Harry and Ginny walking toward him.

"There you are," Ron said.

"Shouldn't you be with Hermione?" Harry asked.

"How is she?" Ginny asked.

"Still a bit of time to go," Ron said, "Actually I was just about to go back to her."

"Ron, just remember to breathe," Harry said, "And you won't faint."

"Yeah, thanks, mate," Ron said.

Over Harry's shoulder, Ron saw the doctor, Eddie, walking toward him.

"Oh, good, I found you, Mr. Weasley," Eddie said, "You need to come now."

"Eh?" Ron asked.

"Your wife's contractions are down under five minutes each," Eddie said, "And they're getting quicker. I have a feeling the baby could come anytime in the next couple of hours or less. Probably less."

Ron nodded. He felt Harry's hand on his shoulder.

"Good luck, mate," Harry said, "We're here if you need us."

Ron smiled and quickly hugged Harry. He then followed Eddie back toward the hospital room.

-  
><strong>Decided to end the chapter there! It all comes down to the next chapter!<strong>

**Hope you liked this one!**


	34. Baby Makes Three: Part 3

**Chapter 34  
>Baby Makes Three: Part 3<strong>

**Author's Note: Once again, my apologies if there are any inconsistencies with normal childbirth during this chapter. Also I apologize if the medical talk in this chapter gets a bit weird for you. Also, a couple readers said this birth has been rather short for a first-timer, but that is only because I was running out of ideas, and only could figure it out by speeding it up a bit. I hope you are enjoying this nevertheless.**

**(Hermione's PoV – May 15th, 2006 – 6:20PM)**

Hermione closed her eyes, trying to relax herself a bit as she prepared herself for the next contractions. She felt beads of sweat fall across her brow as she inhaled and exhaled. An IV needle was in her arm, slowly pumping anesthesia into her, making the pain a bit bearable. The pain had grown a bit, as the time between the contractions lessened with each one.

"Just relax, Hermione," Dr. Sterling said, soothingly, "In between contractions, I usually suggest that the mother concentrate on soothing, relaxing things."

Hermione nodded as she listened to the slow beeping sound from the machine that was focusing on her heartbeat. Hermione heard a door open and shut, and she opened her eyes. Ron was walking back over to her.

"Took you long enough to get back in here," Hermione said, as Ron took her hand in his.

"Sorry, love," Ron said, "Was trying to get away from the family, but they kept pulling me back in. Your father's here by the way, and Harry and Ginny just arrived."

"Good," Hermione said.

Hermione felt more pressure in her groin, and she groaned and held tightly onto Ron's hand. Each contraction seemed to last for about a minute now.

"Contractions lessening to four minutes apart now," Dr. Sterling said, "How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"A little annoyed," Hermione said, chuckling in spite of herself.

Dr. Sterling smiled.

"You can lay back just a little more to help you relax," he said, "You're going to need this rest before the baby comes."

Dr. Sterling lifted a small, white, remote-looking thing and Hermione felt the top of the bed move back as she laid down a bit. The nurse on hand brought a small white blanket over and covered Hermione's legs with it. As the nurse put her head under the blanket, Hermione noticed Ron raise his eyebrows.

"Routine, Ron," Hermione said.

A moment later, the nurse resurfaced from the blanket.

"She's fully dilated," the nurse said to Dr. Sterling.

"What's that mean?" Ron asked.

"Just means were in the final stages," Dr. Sterling said, "It's pretty close. The baby should be making her way in the next little while. With each contraction, she's pushing her way forward. That's what Hermione's feeling."

"She's taking her bloody time," Hermione said, sighing.

"Just breathe, Hermione," Dr. Sterling said.

Hermione inhaled and exhaled. She noticed Ron was doing the same thing. She squeezed his hand and he smiled down at her. Ron leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. She grinned and laid back, trying to relax and wait for the next shooting pain to come.

-  
><strong>(Ginny's PoV – May 15<strong>**th****, 2006 – 6:40PM)**

Ginny sat in the waiting room with the rest of her family that was in attendance, and was drinking from a cup of tea.. A few feet away, Hermione's father was pacing back and forth. Ginny looked up at the doorway and saw a doctor come in. It was the same doctor that had called on Ron. The nameplate on his shirt said Eddie.

"Hermione Weasley's family?" he asked.

Ginny and the rest of her family looked up at him.

"We believe Hermione is down to the final hour before her baby comes," Eddie said, "The baby is coming a bit faster than expected, but it is completely normal, especially for a first time mother like Hermione. All signs point to the fact that baby and mother are healthy."

Ginny and the rest of her family nodded appreciatively. The doctor smiled and left the room. Ginny watched as Hermione's father sat down in a chair.

"I'm probably more nervous than Hermione is," Richard said. "Just a couple hours ago, I was sitting down ready for an evening on the couch. Now here we are."

"I remember when I was in your position," Ginny's father said, as he sat down beside Richard, "Bill's first daughter, Victoire, was just hours from being born when we heard the news. I was pacing back and forth so much in that hallway in St. Mungo's that the soles of my shoes were worn out."

"I'm about to become a grandfather," Richard said, then looked at his wife. "Am I old? Do I look old, Helen?"

Ginny just chuckled as Helen shook her head.

"Ten Galleons says Ron faints in the middle of it," George said suddenly.

"George!" Ginny's mother said in a scolding tone.

"Just trying to diffuse the tension," George said.

Ginny heard footsteps near the doorway, and looked up and saw Percy walk in.

"Am I too late?" Percy asked, in a rather hyper, excited tone, "Did I miss it?"

"She hasn't come yet, Percy," Bill said, "Come sit down with the rest of us."

Percy smiled and sat down next to Bill.

"Thought I wouldn't make it in time," Percy said, "Audrey wanted to come, but she's in the stage of her own pregnancy where she's rather sleepy all the time, so I promised her I'd update her when I could."

Harry sat down next to Ginny and she took his hand.

"How you feeling?" she asked him.

"A bit dazed," Harry said, "My two best mates in the world, who I've been to hell and back with, are about to become parents. Seems like yesterday they were bickering in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts after the Yule Ball in fourth year, and I stood there wondering if they'd ever be friends again. Now here I am just waiting for our new niece to arrive."

Ginny grinned. She laid her head on Harry's shoulder as Harry massaged her hand with his thumb.

**(Hermione's PoV – May 15****th****, 2006 – 6:55PM)**

Hermione squeezed Ron's hand as she felt another contraction, and groaned against the pain. She felt beads of sweat come down her brow. The pain subsided after a minute and Hermione inhaled and exhaled trying to relax herself. She smiled when she felt Ron brush a handkerchief across her forehead.

"I didn't realize you were so strong," Ron said, chuckling, "You have a strong grip. My hand's numb."

"Sorry," Hermione said.

The nurse disappeared underneath the large blanket.

"Okay," the nurse said, as she draped the blanket against Hermione's legs, "I think the baby's about ready to come now."

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"The contractions are very close together," the nurse said, "Dr. Sterling?"

Dr. Sterling walked over to them.

"Hermione, I'm going to give you a bit more anesthesia," he said, as he pressed a needle into Hermione's IV, "This won't make you tired, but it will make this part a lot more bearable."

Hermione nodded and felt another contraction, though the pain was lighter, cause of the medicine. She groaned and she felt a sharp pain against her groin.

"I feel her," Hermione said.

"Yeah, she's coming," the nurse said, "Okay, Hermione. I'm going to ask you to give a small push. We'll take this in turns to let you breathe a bit between it. Okay?"

Hermione nodded. She squeezed Ron's hand, and he kissed her hand softly.

"Push, Hermione," the nurse said.

Hermione leaned forward and grunted as she concentrated her strength on pushing her lower abdomen forward. Hermione inhaled and exhaled in pulsing breaths.

"You can do this, Hermione," Ron said, as he gently squeezed her hand.

Hermione nodded and grunted again.

"And relax for a moment," the nurse said, "Can't see anything just yet."

Hermione inhaled again and felt a light bit of pain as she felt a force push against her groin. She realized the nurse was feeling for the baby. She looked up at Ron who looked a bit pale.

"Don't faint now, Ron," Hermione said, "You breathe too."

Ron nodded and inhaled then exhaled deeply.

"I feel the baby," the nurse said, "She's in the right position. Push again, Hermione!"

Hermione leaned forward again and squeezed Ron's hand as she grunted and focused her strength on pushing.

"I see the top of the head," the nurse said, "Keep it up."

"Push, Hermione," Ron said.

Hermione groaned against the pain as she inhaled and exhaled quickly. Hermione could feel the nurses hands against her,

"Need a big push now," the nurse said, "Almost there."

Hermione closed her eyes and focused. As she did, her senses were on several things. The heart rate monitor was beeping rather quickly. She could hear Ron's breathing, and felt the handkerchief across her brow. She groaned, and gave another push.

"She's coming," Ron said, "I can see a bit."

Hermione cried out and and pushed with more strength. Soon, as she pushed, she felt the pain subside, but she wasn't focused on that. She could hear the most beautiful sound in the world.

It was the sound of crying.

"Good job, Hermione," she heard Dr. Sterling's voice echo, "She's here."

"I want to see her," Hermione said, in between breaths, "I want to see my baby."

Through her blurry vision, she could see the nurse hand a small figure to Dr. Sterling. She could hear Ron's excited exhales, and thought she could hear him crying as well. Hermione, however, was only focused on other cries. Dr. Sterling walked forward, and Hermione could hear the cries even louder. Hermione reached out and soon she felt her a small weight in them as she saw her baby. She cradled Rose closer to her.

"Hi," Hermione said, chuckling happily, "Hello there, beautiful."

"Time of birth," Dr. Sterling said, "Seven minutes after seven on the evening of May 15th."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes as she inhaled and exhaled.

"I'm here, Rose Marie," Hermione said, tearfully, "Mummy's here."

Ron leaned forward to Hermione and kissed her on her forehead.

"She's beautiful, Hermione," he said.

Hermione nodded as she stroked Rose's forehead. Rose stopped crying and Hermione grinned as she saw Rose's blue eyes look up at her.

"Yes," Hermione said, grinning through tears, "Yes, she is."

"Okay," Dr. Sterling said, "If I can take her, you'll have her back shortly. We need to clean her up a bit. Just rest, Hermione."

Hermione nodded and laid back, closing her eyes. She heard a small snipping sound of shears.

"Umbilical cord detached," Dr. Sterling's voice said.

Hermione inhaled and exhaled again as she opened her eyes. Dr. Sterling was walking with Rose over to a table. Hermione looked up at Ron, who was grinning. She smiled and he leaned forward and kissed her softly. At the end of the bed, the nurse was cleaning up the afterbirth.

"Weight, nine-and-a-half pounds," Hermione heard Dr. Sterling say, "Length, twenty-one inches. Heartbeat is going smoothly. She's very healthy."

Hermione grinned and nodded, though she was too exhausted for too many words.

"I love you, Hermione." Ron said, as he kneeled beside her.

"I love you too," Hermione said.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – May 15<strong>**th****, 2006 – 7:20PM)**

Over the next short while, Ron stayed with Hermione and Rose to make sure they were all right. The nurse had stayed temporarily to help Hermione through the after-process. Ron got his turn to hold Rose right after Dr. Sterling had cleaned her of the afterbirth. He grinned from ear to ear as he looked at his daughter, and carefully walked over to Hermione. He put her back in Hermione's arms, and kissed Hermione's forehead once again, as she cuddled their daughter.

"If you're up to it," Dr. Sterling said to Hermione, "Rose is probably kind of hungry at the moment."

"I think I'm up to it," Hermione said.

"I'll get the nurse to help teach you the process of it," Dr. Sterling said, "But first... Ron? Can I talk to you?"

Ron looked back at Hermione.

"She's fine, Ron," Dr. Sterling said, "They're both fine. Just post-birth procedure to tell you what will be going on."

"I'm fine, Ron," Hermione assured him, "Go talk to him, then go to our family and tell them what's going on. I'm sure they're wanting to know."

Ron nodded and leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly, then kissed Rose on her forehead. He smiled at her and followed Dr. Sterling into the next room.

"You can clean up now," Dr. Sterling said. "I can talk to you as you do so."

"Okay," Ron said, as he went over to the sink and washed his hands, "They're okay, right?"

"It was a routine childbirth for most of it," Dr. Sterling said, "I'll admit it went a bit quicker than normal for Hermione's first time, so that scared me some. But I'm pleased to say Hermione and Rose are completely healthy. You have nothing to worry about."

"Happy to hear that," Ron said.

"It is routine," Dr. Sterling said, "that mother and newborn stay in the hospital anywhere between twenty-four and forty-eight hours after the birth. This is to make sure there are no complications in those hours. Then both of them will be able to go home. As for you, I'm sure you're going to need some rest yourself, soon, huh?"

"I'm feeling a bit awake right now, to be honest," Ron said.

"That's the adrenaline going through you," Dr. Sterling said, "When that wears off in a while, you can either choose to go home or you can choose to stay in one of our hotel rooms at the other end of the hospital that is reserved for the new fathers. Either way, we'll be on call if Hermione needs you while you rest. Also, I'm sure your family will be eager to see your daughter, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Ron said, grinning.

"In about half-an-hour or so," Dr. Sterling said, "After Hermione's done feeding Rose, we'll move your daughter to the nursery. Your family will get to meet your daughter from the other side of a large window. Nurses are on hand to assist that. This procedure is routine, because we ask that, besides the doctors and nurses on hand, only the mother and father hold their newborn in the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours. This is so your daughter can get adjusted to the both of you. Meanwhile, Hermione will be moved to one of the hospital rooms on this floor for the rest of her stay. You'll be informed of that room number when she's ready."

"Okay," Ron said.

"Are there any questions you may have?" Dr. Sterling asked.

"Not at the moment," Ron said.

"You probably want to inform your family, right?" Dr. Sterling asked.

Ron nodded, grinning.

"Congratulations on your new daughter, by the way," Dr. Sterling said.

"Thank you, Dr. Sterling," Ron said.

Dr. Sterling smiled and left the room. Ron removed his gown and mask and looked at himself in the mirror. He grinned at himself. He was a daddy. He could hardly believe it.

Ron cleaned himself up then headed out of the room and toward the waiting room. Outside the room, he inhaled and exhaled, then walked through the doorway. His whole family, as well as Hermione's parents were looking up at him.

"I'm a new daddy," Ron said, "Rose Marie was born at seven-past-seven. She's healthy. Hermione's okay too."

Ron's mother, who was sitting on the seat nearest the door, was the first to reach him. She put her arms around him in a near-crushing hug.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" she said, tears in her eyes.

"Thanks, Mum," Ron said, grinning.

Over his mother's shoulder, Ron looked around the room. Harry and Ginny were grinning at him, and Hermione's parents were hugging each other and crying happy tears.

"When can we see my new grand-baby?" Mrs. Weasley asked, backing up.

"Hermione's feeding Rose now," Ron said, as Ginny walked over to him and hugged him, "The doctor says we can see Rose in about half-an-hour at the nursery, through a window or something. They said only Hermione and I can hold her right now."

Ginny backed up and Helen was the next to hug Ron.

"They're going to move Hermione to another room," Ron said to Helen, "You'll be able to see her soon."

"She's okay?" Richard asked.

"She's fine," Ron said, nodding. "She's pretty tired, but I'm sure she wants to see all of you."

The rest of Ron's family took turns to hug Ron. He then walked toward a corner of the room, and sat down on the floor, against a wall. Harry walked over to him. Ron grinned at him, as Harry sat down.

"She's beautiful, mate," Ron said, chuckling, "Wait until you see her. She has these bright blue eyes and..."

He shook his head and inhaled and exhaled.

"I was holding her, Harry," Ron said, "after the doctor cleaned her up, you know. And she looked up at me. I swear my heart skipped a beat at that moment. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen."

"I know that feeling, mate," Harry said, "I had the same feeling with James looked at me that first time."

Ron smiled and laid his head against the wall.

"This whole thing seems so bloody surreal," he said.

"I know," Harry said, chuckling. "Actually I have to bicker a bit with you."

"Why?" Ron asked, chuckling.

"Ginny and I were getting ready for a romantic night on the town," Harry said, "When your bloody owl came by and Ginny informed me all this was going on."

"It's only a little bit after seven-o-clock, you know," Ron said. "You still have time to do that."

"And miss seeing the new Mum?" Harry asked, "No thanks."

"You have all the time in the world to see her, Harry," Ron said, "In fact she's probably going to be here for the next couple of days. Routine check-up I guess."

"No can do, mate," Harry said. "And I'm not doing it for the fact of a romantic night. Your wife would probably kill me if I didn't see her soon. Even if she's exhausted."

"Yeah," Ron said, "She probably would. Can you do me a favor, mate?"

"Anything for the new father," Harry said.

"Keep the family away from me for a bit," Ron said. "I need to shut my eyes for a few minutes until the doctor says we can see Rose."

"Sure," Harry said.

Ron smiled and sighed as he closed his eyes to get a bit of sleep.

**(Hermione's PoV – May 15****th****, 2006 – 7:45PM)  
><strong>

Shortly after she said her temporary goodbye to Rose, Hermione found herself laying in a different room at the other end of the ward. She was dressed in a clean new hospital gown and a nurse was checking her vitals. A heart monitor was beeping normally to her left. To her right, Dr. Sterling walked into the room.

"How is the new mother feeling?" he asked her.

"Exhausted," Hermione said, "But unbelievably happy."

"Your family is in the waiting room," Dr. Sterling said, "After I leave here, I'm going to go tell them they can see you and Rose. At the moment, Rose is sleeping in the nursery. She's a very happy baby."

Hermione grinned, a picture of her baby in her arms still in her mind.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked.

"When I passed by the waiting room," Dr. Sterling said, "He was taking a short nap in the corner of the room."

"Can't blame him," Hermione said, chuckling.

"I'm sure he wants to see you," Dr. Sterling said, "I'll go tell him you're ready for him. You're probably hungry as well, right?"

"Oh yeah," Hermione said, nodding.

"We offer a healthy diet of food for new mothers to get their strength back up," Dr. Sterling said, "I'll have someone in here shortly with a tray of food for you."

"Thank you," Hermione said.

Suddenly, there was a light tapping on the door and Hermione looked at it. A nurse stood there with Hermione's mother and father. She grinned at them and they walked in.

"Hi," Hermione said to her parents, as they walked over to her.

Tears streaked from Helen's face as she hugged Hermione.

"I'll go find the rest of your family now, eh?" Dr. Sterling said.

Hermione smiled over her mother's shoulder, and Dr. Sterling left.

"Did you see her?" Hermione asked.

"Not yet," Helen said, "We're going to the nursery after we leave here. We wanted to see you first."

"How are you feeling?" Richard asked.

"A bit tired," Hermione said.

She yawned.

"Okay, more than a bit," she chuckled.

"I'm sure you'll get a good night's sleep," Helen said, "Oh, honey, I'm so proud of you. You did so well. Ron sounds very proud of you."

"I'm quite proud of him," Hermione said. "He didn't faint. How is he?"

"He's a bit tired," Richard said, "But I'm sure he wants to see you."

Hermione smiled. She looked at the door, and wondered when Ron would walk through it.

**Decided to end it there. I was going to have Ron's next part in this chapter, but I decided for it to wait until the next one.**

**As for how much longer this story will go on, I'm not sure. I might make it a bit longer and go through the first few days of Rose at home, and maybe even more. I haven't decided that yet. I was so focused on this whole childbirth part, I wasn't even thinking of what will happen next. So we'll see.**

**Hope you liked this chapter!**


	35. Requests And Owl Post

**Chapter 35  
>Requests and Owl Post<strong>

**Author's Note: This chapter will have mild details of breastfeeding. A bit of a warning if you are against that kind of thing. Time to answer something a reviewer said:**

**Q: I know you don't have much planned for after Rose gets home, but I would love to see this story continue! Going up to her school years at Hogwarts would be so adorable! Maybe two chapters per year for them?**

**A: I haven't completely decided how far I'll go with this story, or if I'll have a sequel with it. But if I have a sequel, I'll save the school years for that one. **  
><strong><br>(Ron's PoV – May 15****th****, 2006 – 7:55PM)**

Ron felt a nudge on his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Harry was standing over him, and Dr. Sterling was standing there with him.

"You can go see your daughter, Mr. Weasley," Dr. Sterling said.

Ron nodded and stood up, then stretched, trying to wake himself back up.

"Your wife is just down the hall in room 17," Dr. Sterling said, "Her parents are with her right now."

"Thanks, sir," Ron said, "For everything. Don't know what we'd do without you."

"My pleasure," Dr. Sterling said, "We don't want to crowd Rose, so only a few family members at a time, eh?"

Ron nodded and asked his parents and Harry and Ginny to come with him. Dr. Sterling led them down the hall and over to a large window that separated them from a room. There were at least a dozen babies sleeping in clear-walled cribs. Dr. Sterling tapped lightly on the window. One of the nurses in the room looked toward the window. Ron saw Rose sleeping in the second row of cribs and motioned to her. The nurse smiled and walked over to Rose's crib. She picked Rose up carefully, and cuddled her against her body, then walked over to the window.

Ron smiled when he heard his mother crying happily.

"Oh, Ronnie," Mr. Weasley said, "She's beautiful."

Ron nodded and looked at Rose. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his father near him. Ron put an arm around his father and hugged him.

"Congratulations, son," Mr. Weasley said.

"Thanks, Dad," Ron said.

He looked over at Ginny and Harry, who were both looking at Rose. Ron had a sudden thought come to his mind and walked toward Harry.

"Can I talk to you, mate?" he asked Harry, "For a moment? In private."

Harry nodded and they walked over to the other side of the hall.

"You were right, Ron," Harry said, grinning, "Rose is beautiful."

Ron smiled. He then inhaled and exhaled as he readied himself for the next thing he wanted to say.

"I want you to be her godfather," he said after a moment.

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"I was going to ask you this months ago," Ron said, "And I keep forgetting. Will you do the honor?"

"Of course," Harry said, "I'd be happy to be her godfather."

Ron smiled and Harry hugged him with one arm.

"How about we go see the happy mother?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded and walked over to his parents.

"Harry and I are going to see Hermione," Ron said.

"Oh, I'm coming too!" Ginny said.

"Okay," Ron said, shrugging, "Mum, if you will, can you take the rest of our family here to let them see her?"

"Of course, honey," Mrs. Weasley said.

She smiled and hugged Ron once again.

"Oh, my baby boy," she said, "A father himself."

"Yeah, thanks Mum," Ron said.

He smiled and backed away, then headed down the hallway with Harry and Ginny. They found room 17 and walked toward the door. When he reached the doorway, he saw Hermione talking to her parents. He grinned and tapped his knuckles on the door. Hermione looked toward the door, and smiled at Ron. She raised one hand and beckoned them in.

Ron walked over to her and leaned down toward her, hugging her. He kissed her softly on the lips. She grinned against his kiss, and Ron backed away.

"We'll leave you for now and go see our new granddaughter," Helen said.

Hermione smiled at her parents, and they walked away. Ron sat down in the chair nearest Hermione, as Ginny hugged her.

"Oh, congratulations," Ginny said.

"Thanks," Hermione said.

"We saw her, Hermione," Harry said, "She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is," Hermione said.

She looked up at Ron and he reached to her hand and squeezed it softly.

"You don't look too bad," Ginny said.

"Just tired," Hermione said, as she looked at herself, "and wondering when I'm going to get my own body back."

"That will take a few weeks to get it back," Ginny said, "I suggest exercise."

"Do you want anything?" Ron asked.

"Dr. Sterling says they're going to bring me some dinner soon," Hermione said, "Otherwise, I'm fine. I do want to see Rose again though."

"I'll see what I can do," Ron said.

"They might bring the crib in here for you," Ginny said, "That is what they did at St. Mungo's."

"Oh, I hope so," Hermione said.

"If they don't, I'll use the Imperius Curse," Ron said, chuckling.

"You and your threats to use the Imperius Curse on people," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"That's not the first time today?" Harry asked, chuckling.

Ron explained to Harry and Ginny about the road block as they were going to the hospital, and how he had suggested to put the curse on the police man.

"I would have done it too," Ron said, "If I wasn't so worried about Hermione."

"We got here in plenty of time, Ron," Hermione said, "Though I will admit, I thought we'd have a bit more time. I thought it was supposed to be four-to-six hours. It was less than three. For a while there, I thought something was wrong with Rose..."

"She's perfectly healthy," Ron said, "That's all I keep hearing right now."

"She's a big girl," Harry said, "That was one thing I noticed."

"Twenty-one inches," Hermione said, "Bigger than me when I was born... by a full inch."

"I bet you felt all of her as she was coming," Ginny said, chuckling.

"Oh, yeah," Hermione said.

"Well, I'm sure Mum and Dad will be in here soon," Ginny said, "We should go."

"You could still have that romantic dinner you were planning on, you know," Ron said.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I'll explain later," Ron said.

"Actually dinner sounds good right about now," Ginny said, "Even if we just have it at the cafeteria. I didn't realize how hungry I am right now."

"Go on, you two," Hermione said, "I'll see you soon. I'm going to be here for the next couple of days anyway, according to Dr. Sterling."

Harry leaned in toward Hermione and hugged her, and Ginny did the same.

"Congratulations, you two," Harry said, "We'll come by tomorrow after work."

Ron smiled and Harry and Ginny walked out of the room. He then leaned toward Hermione and kissed her again.

"I'm so proud of you," Ron said.

"I'm proud of you," Hermione said, "You didn't faint."

"There were some moments there when I thought I would," Ron said, chuckling.

He sighed and felt a yawn coming. He tried to quell it, but couldn't.

"Ron, you're as exhausted as I am," Hermione said, "You need your sleep."

"Mmm, I want to be here with you," Ron said.

"I'm probably not going to be awake too long," Hermione said. "Just long enough to see the rest of our family."

Ron pouted.

"Okay," he said, "I have an idea. Dr. Sterling says there are rooms available at the other end of the building for new fathers to sleep in. I'll go home and pack a few things, and get myself a bite to eat, then I'll come back here. If you're awake, I'll come in and be here until you fall asleep, okay?"

"Deal," Hermione said.

"I'll see what I can do about bringing Rose in here," Ron said. "I don't know how that will go. The nursery seems like the place to be for newborns. There were quite a few babies in there."

"It's okay if she can't be in here," Hermione said. "I'll see her tomorrow."

Ron nodded and heard a tapping sound on the door. He looked up toward it and saw his parents standing there. He smiled and motioned for them to come in. His mother walked over to Hermione and hugged her.

"Oh, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, "I'm so proud of you. She's such a beautiful little girl."

"I noticed a bit of that Weasley hair of ours," Mr. Weasley said, "Another red-head."

"Were there ever any doubts?" Ron asked.

Hermione grinned. Ron leaned back toward Hermione and kissed her again.

"I'll see you soon," he said.

"If not tonight, then tomorrow," Hermione said, smiling.

Ron smiled.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Hermione said.

Ron kissed her briefly again and backed away. His mother hugged him again, and he headed out of the room. He took one last look at Hermione, and she waved at him. He smiled, then headed down the hallway.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – May 16<strong>**th****, 2006 – 12:30AM)**

Though she didn't get to see Rose before she drifted off to sleep that night, it didn't take long for Hermione to be reunited with her daughter. Shortly after midnight, a nurse woke her up.

"Sorry to wake you up, ma'am," the nurse said, "But we recommend at least one feeding during the middle of the night. One reason is because the baby usually needs this, but it is also so mothers can get used to waking up whenever their newborn needs them."

"I-I don't m-mind," Hermione said, failing to stifle a yawn, "I expected I'd be having to do this."

She sat up and the nurse raised the bed into a mid-sitting position. She looked past the nurse and saw a clear-walled crib on wheels at the end of the bed. She grinned when the nurse carefully picked up Rose and brought her over. Hermione carefully took her and cuddled her.

"Do you need assistance with feeding her?" the nurse asked.

"I think I know what to do," Hermione said.

Remembering the lessons from a few hours ago, she unbuttoned her gown and carefully helped Rose toward her. Hermione gasped softly as she felt Rose's lips touch her left breast.

"It can be a bit surprising there at first," the nurse said.

"Just needing to get used to it," Hermione said.

"It helps if you relax a bit," the nurse said.

Hermione nodded and laid back gently as she cuddled Rose in her arms.

"That's better," Hermione said.

The nurse smiled and then looked at the machines around Hermione's bed.

"Your vital signs are good," the nurse said, "Heartbeat and pulse are normal. Do you need anything right now?"

"Actually I was curious about something," Hermione said. "Er... could Rose stay here during the night? In her crib, I mean?"

"Some mothers request that," the nurse said, smiling. "We always warn them that most mothers aren't ready for that during the first night after the birth. Do you think you're strong enough to get up if she needs you?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding, "I'll be fine. Have to get used to this, right?"

"I'll see what I can do then," the nurse said, "I'll leave you to have a few minutes alone with her."

"Thank you," Hermione said.

The nurse smiled again and left the room. Hermione grinned as looked at Rose.

"Hi, there," she said. "It's so weird, and relieving at the same time, to finally be able to see you and talk to you. I'm used to talking to my tummy."

She chuckled softly and just watched Rose, silently for the next few minutes. A short while later, Rose let go and backed away, and she slowly fell back to sleep.

"Good night, my sweetheart," Hermione said to Rose.

As Hermione watched Rose, the nurse walked in, and over toward them.

"Careful," Hermione said, softly, "She's sleeping."

The nurse smiled and gently lifted Rose into her arms. She took a smaller version of a stethoscope from around her neck and checked Rose.

"Signs are good," the nurse said, softly, "That is good news. And even more good news for you, it means your request is accepted. She's healthy enough where we can allow her to stay with you tonight. Some babies sleep right through the night in their first couple of days of life. We refer to it as the nesting process: their body and brain is getting used to everything, and it makes them sleep more often. So depending on when you wake up, she might allow you to sleep till morning."

"Thank you," Hermione said, "I think I'll sleep more peacefully myself with her nearby."

The nurse smiled. She gently put Rose in the crib, then walked over to Hermione then adjusted the bed into a laying position.

"Her next feeding time shouldn't be until the morning," the nurse said.

Hermione nodded.

"Good night," the nurse said.

"Night," Hermione said, "Thank you."

The nurse nodded and left the room. As Hermione drifted off to sleep, she watched as Rose slept peacefully and wondered if she was having any dreams.

**(Ron's PoV – May 16****th****, 2006 – 6:00AM)**

Ron didn't have the best night's sleep. He had opted to sleep in one of the motel rooms at the hospital, and at different times of the night, he would wake up and find that the clock read different times that were too early in the morning, such as one-thirty, two-fifteen, and three forty-seven.

When he woke up again, it was six-o-clock, and he just decided to stay up. At first, he thought this restlessness was because he hadn't been adjusted to his temporary bed there at the hospital. Then he started to wonder if it was something completely different. He was a new father, and he knew his mind was getting used to that. Maybe his mind was also preparing him to wake up at different times of the night when Rose would need him.

He already knew that Hermione would be waking up during the night for the next few months when Rose needed her. She had explained to him that she would do it and he could get his sleep. He wondered if his mind was trying to tell him that he should be doing that instead of Hermione. Dr. Sterling had said that Hermione would need her rest over the next few weeks while her body adjusted to not being pregnant anymore, and it started to go back to its state before she was pregnant. But he knew she wouldn't agree to him getting up during the night in her stead. Perhaps they could do a compromise.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a sound of pecking on the window across the room. He stood up from the bed and walked over to the window. He didn't recognize the owl on the windowsill, but he opened the window and let the owl in. It flew over to the bed and perched itself on the post. Ron took the roll of parchment from the owl, and noticed it looked rather exhausted.

"Long trip?" Ron asked the owl.

The owl hooted softly.

"There's a glass of water on the table if you need a drink," Ron said.

The owl hooted and flew over to the table. Ron unrolled the parchment saw that the letter was from his brother, Charlie. He grinned and started to read it:

_Ron,_

_Congratulations, little brother, on the birth of your new daughter. Bill sent me a letter a few hours ago, and said Hermione was in the middle of the childbirth. I will assume that your daughter is now born, and I hope she and Hermione are both healthy._

_You must be very proud, and I'm proud for you. I can't imagine what you must be thinking. As you know, I'm too dedicated to the dragons to get into the life of a family. I'm happy to know that our family is growing._

_I'm sorry I couldn't be there with the family for this. I am rather busy here at the dragon reserve. I actually meant to get this letter to you earlier, but when my fellow mates here heard of my new family member, they treated me __to drinks. Was quite a celebration, and that is just for the Uncle!_

_I promise I will visit you before too long and meet my new niece. Maybe you and I can get a drink or two on that day and we can catch up._

_Give Hermione my love and let her know I am thrilled for the both of you. _

_Congratulations again._

_With love,_  
><em>Charlie<em>

Ron grinned and went over to his suitcase. He had been ready for the possible letter that were coming, and had packed parchment, quills and ink. He decided if there was a moment that day when he was away from Hermione and Rose, he could write letters to his schoolmates and let them know of his new daughter's arrival.

He wrote a return note to Charlie, informing him of Rose's safe arrival and that she and Hermione were doing just fine. After he finished the letter, he put the parchment back on the owl's leg and the owl flew off out the window. He closed the window, and put on fresh clothes for the day. He then headed into the hospital, with full intentions of finding out if he could visit his daughter.

**(Hermione's PoV – May 16****th****, 2006 – 7:30AM)**

The sun shone in through the windows, and Hermione opened her eyes, and shield them with her hand. Through her fingers, she saw Ron sitting in the same chair he had been in the previous night. Hermione smiled when she noticed Rose was asleep in his arms. Above Ron, the clock on the wall read seven-thirty.

"Mmm, I wish I had a camera for this moment," Hermione murmured softly, "You and Rose look so perfect there."

Ron smiled.

"Good morning, beautiful," Ron said.

"Mmm, morning," Hermione said, yawning.

"So I guess you got your wish then?" he asked, motioning to Rose, "She was sleeping here in her crib when I came in."

Hermione nodded and told Ron about the midnight visit she had.

"I doubt I'll ever get used to the thought of that whole breastfeeding thing," Ron said, after Hermione finished her story.

"Stick around," Hermione said, grinning, "She'll probably want another round when she wakes up. Should be soon. She slept through the night. I was quite surprised. How long have you been here, anyway?"

"An hour or so," Ron said, "Was up at six this morning. Have I ever told you how much I like that Dr. Sterling bloke?"

"Oh, really?" Hermione said, grinning.

"He allowed me to come in here this early," Ron said, "Even when you were asleep."

"He probably knew you wanted to hold Rose," Hermione said.

"Might have mentioned something like that to him," Ron said, chuckling, "As I was watching you and Rose sleep, I just sat here thinking. I can hardly get my head around it, Hermione. I'm a father."

Hermione grinned.

"It's a bit odd for me to think that I'm a mother," she said, "I'm sure I'll get used to it soon. Though I must say I'm already used to sleeping in the same room with Rose. Just the thought of her being in the same room with me is so soothing."

"In a couple of days, she'll be home," Ron said, "Are you ready for that?"

"You're referring to the fact that I have to get up at all hours of the night," Hermione said, nodding. "Yeah, I think I am."

"You know I'm up to the idea of getting up in the middle of the night too, right?" Ron asked.

"Ron, there's really no point to that," Hermione said.

"But you'll need your rest, Hermione," Ron said. "It will take a while before you're back to your normal self. Rest will help you through that."

"I know," Hermione said, "But that's not my point. I'm the only one who'll be able to feed Rose for a while, you know."

Ron nodded.

"Hadn't thought about that," he said.

"Ron, I know you think I'm going to need my rest," Hermione said. "While that is true, I've been adjusting myself to the fact that I'm going to have to get up in the night, at different times, to tend to Rose. If I'm tired, I'll sleep during the day."

Ron sighed audibly as he looked at Rose. Hermione realized what was going on, and she shook her head, chuckling softly.

"You're worried you aren't going to be doing your part well enough," she said, "Aren't you? As a father I mean?"

"Maybe a little," Ron said.

"You're going to be a wonderful father, Ron," Hermione said, smiling. "I can already see that."

Ron nodded. Hermione then felt an all-too familiar force against her bladder.

"I need to use the loo," she said, sighing.

"Need help getting up?" Ron asked.

"No, you just sit there with Rose," Hermione said, "I need to get used to getting up by myself."

She sat up carefully and made her way toward the bathroom. When she left a few minutes later, Dr. Sterling was there in the room.

"Good morning, Hermione," Dr. Sterling said, "Sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you," Hermione said.

"I hear you had a guest with you during the night," Dr. Sterling said, grinning.

Hermione smiled as she looked at Rose, still asleep in Ron's arms.

"She slept through the whole night," Hermione said, "I'm quite shocked."

As Hermione walked back over to the bed, Rose woke up and started to cry.

"Oh," Ron said, "She's a bit wet. Are you up to changing her, Hermione?"

"You don't want to do it?" Hermione asked, chuckling.

"Mother's privilege first," Ron said, grinning.

"Okay," Hermione said, "I'm up to it."

Ron stood up carefully and Hermione gently took Rose from him. Dr. Sterling set down a towel on the bed, and Hermione gently laid Rose down onto it. Dr. Sterling then took a diaper, baby powder and wipes from a cupboard and brought them over to the bed. Hermione proceeded to remove Rose's dirty diaper and change her into a new one.

"You're a natural," Ron said, grinning as she watched her.

"It's the mother in me," Hermione said, smiling.

After the diaper was on, Dr. Sterling checked Hermione's and Rose's vitals and proclaimed them both healthy. He left shortly after. Hermione gently picked Rose back up, and she started to cry.

"Oh, she's probably hungry," Hermione said, "Been a few hours since her last meal."

"How about you?" Ron asked.

"I could use some breakfast," Hermione said.

"I'll go down to the cafeteria," Ron said. "I'll be back shortly."

Ron walked over to her, and Hermione leaned toward him and kissed him. She smiled and watched him leave the room. She then proceeded to feed Rose and winced a bit when Rose put her lips against Hermione's breast.

"That's going to take a while to get used to," she said, chuckling softly.

-  
><strong>I'll just end that there. The next chapter might take a bit longer than these past few updates, as I'm trying to figure out what next to do. I want at least a few more chapters before I end this.<strong>

**Thank you so much for your kind reviews during these past few chapters during the childbirth process. I was so nervous writing it, and your reviews of how good the chapters were made me very happy. I've surprised myself with how much I've updated in the past couple of days. I thought it would take forever to do these past few chapters.**

**Hope you liked this chapter!  
><strong>


	36. Friends and Fame

**Chapter 36  
>Friends And Fame<strong>

**(Hermione's PoV – May 16****th****, 2006 – 10:30AM)**

Hermione had taken a short nap that morning, and had woken back up at half-past-ten. Ron was sitting at the nearby table and Rose was currently sleeping peacefully in her temporary crib. Hermione stretched and sat up.

"Need something?" Ron asked, turning in his chair.

"I just need to walk around a bit," Hermione said, as she stood up carefully.

She walked over to Ron and noticed that he was writing something on a piece of parchment.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Been writing announcement letters to some of our old friends and schoolmates from Hogwarts," Ron said. "Needed something to do while you took a nap. It's rather boring just sitting here."

"You didn't have to just sit here, you know," Hermione said. "You could have – I don't know – gone home for a while."

"I wanted to be here with you and Rose," Ron said. "Besides, if I went home, I'd be the only one there. Your mother's back at her house with your father. She's there until we go back home."

"Any idea when that will be?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, yes," Ron said. "I talked to Dr. Sterling about that a couple hours ago. He said if you and Rose have no complications between now and then, we'll be back home by this time tomorrow."

Hermione smiled appreciatively at the news. She then walked over to the crib and looked down at Rose.

"Any problems while I was asleep?" she asked, "With Rose I mean?"

"No," Ron said, "She slept as long as you did."

"She'll be sleeping a lot the first week," Hermione said, "The nurse called it nesting."

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione raised a hand toward him, quelling him when she noticed Rose's eyelids moving a little. Rose's blue eyes opened and she started to cry. When Hermione gently picked her up, and cuddled her, Rose stopped crying.

"Well, how about that?" Ron said. "She must love your touch."

"She's used to me," Hermione said, "Oh, look."

Rose's head moved slowly and Hermione could tell Rose was looking at her.

"She knows my voice," she said, "She must have recognized the tone after all that time I was talking to her when she was in my womb.

She walked back to her bed and carefully sat down as she cuddled Rose against her. Hermione heard a light tapping sound on the door across the room. Dr. Sterling was standing there.

"You have a couple of visitors," he said, "They'll be here shortly after they sign in. While you wait, I thought I'd see how you're doing."

Hermione smiled and Dr. Sterling walked over to her.

"Well, someone's awake," he said, chuckling.

"She was asleep until she heard my voice," Hermione said.

"She recognizes it," Dr. Sterling said, "I'm going to guess that you had some good conversations with her while she was in your womb."

"I thought they were one-sided," Hermione said, grinning, "But I guess she was listening."

Dr. Sterling smiled and put the small stethoscope to his ears. He put the end of it onto Rose's chest.

"Her heartbeat is wonderful," he said, smiling, "Would you like to hear it?"

"Sure," Hermione said.

Dr. Sterling handed the stethoscope to Hermione and she put the buds in her ears. He helped her with the end of the tool, and Hermione heard the heartbeat's echoes. She grinned at the sound.

"I hear it," she said, chuckling, "Wow."

She turned to Ron to ask him if he'd like to hear it, when she heard another tapping sound on the door. She looked toward the door and saw two very familiar faces: Luna Scamander, formerly Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom. Hermione grinned as they walked in.

"I'll just leave you guys alone," Dr. Sterling said.

Dr. Sterling walked past Luna and Neville. Luna's eyes brightened when she saw Rose.

"What a cutie," Luna said, chuckling.

"Luna, meet Rose," Hermione said, smiling as she turned a bit to show Rose to her friend.

"Very nice to meet you, Rose," Luna said, grinning.

Rose moved her head slightly at the sound of the new voice.

"She heard me," Luna said, grinning.

"Looks like she did," Hermione said, then looked back up at Luna, "I'm quite surprised to see you two actually. Did you invite them, Ron?"

"I was about to," Ron said, raising his eyebrows, "Since when did you become a Seer, Luna?"

"Harry wrote letters to us," Luna explained, "Actually it is a bit of a coincidence that Neville and I are here at the same time. I didn't expect him. I thought he'd still be at Hogwarts. The term isn't over, is it?"

"I took the afternoon off," Neville said. "I couldn't pass up the invitation to see your new daughter. I told the news to Minerva and the other Professors by the way. They send their best wishes to you."

"Tell them thank you," Hermione said.

"Daddy and Rolf wanted to come," Luna said, "But they're working on a new discovery. Daddy thinks he found a brand new species of magical creature. May be a cousin of the unicorn."

"And you could miss that to be here?" Ron asked.

"Some things are more important, Ron," Luna said, "Besides, I'm not doing too much work these days. Rolf and I are talking about trying to have a child ourselves, and some of the magical creatures we study have some interesting auras around them that are believed to prevent conception."

"Good to avoid those then," Ron said.

"Yes, I thought so too," Luna said.

While Hermione and Ron were talking with Neville and Luna, Rose became rather cranky. When Hermione put her back in her crib, it took a moment for her to quiet down, but she soon fell back to sleep.

"I better get back," Neville said, "I haven't told Hannah of the news yet. Congratulations again, you two."

"Thank you, Neville," Hermione said.

"Thanks, mate," Ron said.

Neville smiled and waved as he left the room.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Luna said.

She took her purse and opened it, then pulled out a small box.

"When I was born," Luna said, "My mother gave me something similar to this. It has magical properties that is supposed to give the baby good luck and fortune through their first year of life."

She opened the box and pulled out a small necklace. Hermione noticed a tiny vial of powder attached to the end of it.

"My mother never told me what the powder exactly is," Luna said, as she handed the necklace to Hermione, "But it kind of resembles the ash from a phoenix when they die and are reborn. If you hang it on Rose's crib, it should take affect."

"Oh, we couldn't take this, Luna," Hermione said, "You'll want it when you have a child."

"I have more," Luna said, "I don't mind."

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," Hermione said, "That is very kind of you."

"I better get going," Luna said, "Congratulations. She's so beautiful."

Hermione smiled and hugged Luna.

"Good luck with your own family," Hermione said, "I hope you and Rolf find yourself in this position soon."

"I hope so too," Luna said, smiling.

She waved to Ron and walked out of the room. Shortly after Luna left and Hermione was leaning over Rose's crib watching her sleep, she heard another knock on the door.

"Come in," Hermione said.

The door opened and Hermione grinned when Christine walked into the room.

"Oh, I didn't hear the news until just a few minutes ago," Christine said, walking over to Hermione and hugging her, "or I would have been here sooner. Your Mum wrote a letter to me, but it went through the Muggle mail instead of owl post. I rarely get Muggle mail."

Christine looked into the crib with sparkling eyes.

"Oh, she adorable," Christine said, grinning.

Hermione smiled.

"Did it go well?" Christine asked, "The whole childbirth? Any problems?"

"She came a couple hours earlier than expected," Hermione said, "But the doctors keep telling us she's healthy. I'm rather peachy myself."

"Well, that is all that matters," Christine said, then looked at Ron, "How's the new daddy?"

"Happy beyond belief, Christine," Ron said, smiling up at her, "It is nice to see you."

"I couldn't miss this," Christine said, then looked back at Hermione, "So how's the whole breastfeeding thing. You getting used to that?"

"It's going to take a couple of days," Hermione said.

"I bet you find yourself tired after you feed her," Christine said.

"Haven't exactly thought about it," Hermione said. "First time I fed her was a few minutes after she was born, and of course I was exhausted then. Then next was in the middle of last night, so I was sleepy anyway."

"You fed her this morning, though," Ron said. "You took a nap an hour later."

"Yeah, so I guess I do get tired," Hermione said.

"It happens," Christine said, "Actually I found it the best way to fall asleep."

"Brilliant," Ron said, rolling his eyes, "One of these days I'll find you asleep in the rocking chair with your shirt off and her asleep in your arms."

Hermione glared at Ron.

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV – May 16<strong>**th****, 2006 – 4:30PM)**

It turned out Christine's theories were right. During an early afternoon feeding, after Hermione had lunch herself, she had fallen asleep while Rose was in her arms. Ron had gently taken Rose from Hermione, and cuddled her for a while until she went back to sleep.

It was half-past-four, and Ron was in the middle of writing more announcement letters to some extended family and friends, when he heard a knock on the door. Ron looked over at Hermione, who was still asleep, to make sure the noise hadn't woken her up. After checking on Rose, he walked over to the door and opened it. Dr. Sterling was standing there. He walked inside.

"Sorry to bother you," Dr. Sterling said in a low voice, "I can see Hermione is asleep. But... well, you have a visitor Only they say they are from a newspaper of some sort. I've never heard of name of the paper. It's called the Daily Prophet?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. A reporter from the Daily Prophet had come to a Muggle hospital?

"Oh," he said, thinking quickly, "Er... yeah. Hermione and I are rather popular with that paper. They probably want to do news about Rose."

"He's standing right outside," Dr. Sterling said, "The security guard who had accompanied him didn't know what to do. He looked rather confused to be honest. Weird get-up the bloke is in too. Is the paper some sort of entertainment piece?"

"Sort of," Ron muttered, "Thanks, I'll take care of this."

"I'll be right out," Ron said, "Just going to do a quick routine check-up on Rose."

Ron nodded and walked out of the room. A man was sitting in a chair nearby. He was dressed in robes usually seen on the Daily Prophet reporters. A security guard was standing nearby, and Ron instantly recognized that he had been Confunded.

"I'm Ron Weasley," he said to the two men, "May I help you?"

"My name is Hank Dinkle," the man said, "I'm a reporter from the Daily Prophet. I'm here for a piece on the wonderful new addition to our wizard-"

"Please keep it down," Ron said, softly so only the wizard could hear, "For one, my wife is asleep in the room. For another... well, do you realize you are very close to crossing the Statute of Secrecy? You're in a Muggle hospital, you know. The Muggle doctor in there has no idea what the Daily Prophet is."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley," Hank said, "I didn't think -"

"That is obvious," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Well, as I said," Hank said, softly, "I'm here for an article on the birth of your daughter. News of the new family member of – well – one of the biggest families in our world, as well as to the parents of an Auror and the head of a department in the Ministry is pretty big news. Not to mention you two are two of the heroes of the Second War. This is a big piece."

Ron sighed. He hadn't even expected any publicity with this.

"Okay," he said, "I can give details, but I cannot allow you to take pictures or talk to my wife at the moment. Both my wife and daughter are very tired right now. Perhaps we can set up another day for that."

"Of course," Hank said.

He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a piece of parchment, and a quill that Ron recognized of the Quick-Quotes variety.

"So... the name of your new daughter?" Hank asked.

"Rose Marie Weasley," Ron said, then decided to give the details knowing that would be the wizard's next question, "She was born at seven-past-seven yesterday evening, and she is twenty-one inches and nine-and-a-half pounds. She's very healthy."

The Quick-Quotes quill started to write by itself, and Ron rolled his eyes. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

"Wonderful," Hank asked, "Any comments from you? Perhaps how you feel about this whole thing?"

"Both myself and my wife are very happy," Ron said. "As is our family. We wish that the wizarding world gives us our privacy in this time. Any owl post from possible well-wishers can be directed to the Auror department, where I will pick it up there. I do not need countless owls at all hours of the evening waking my daughter up."

"'Parents wish that their privacy be respected'," Hank muttered to the quill, "Good."

"Anything else?" Ron asked.

"No, I don't think so," Hank said, "We'll be in touch for possible pictures."

"Okay," Ron said. "Oh, one more thing."

"Of course, of course!" Hank said, looking excited.

"Any future usage of magic on innocent Muggles from you," Ron said, looking past Hank at the Confounded security guard, "And I will arrest you myself for breach of the Statute."

Hank's eyes widened.

"Yes, sir," he said, "Of course, sir."

"You may go," Ron said, "Good day."

"Good day," Hank said, "Congratulations to you and yours."

The reporter walked off down the hall. Ron sighed and walked back over to the door. He took his wand out and stealthily removed the spell from the security guard then stored his wand and walked back into the room.

"Everything checks out with your daughter," Dr. Sterling said.

"Thank you," Ron said, "You'll have no problems with that reporter anymore. I took care of it."

"Oh, it is no problem," Dr. Sterling said, "I've seen stranger."

Ron chuckled nervously. Dr. Sterling bowed slightly and walked out of the room. Ron walked over to the crib and checked on Rose, who was sleeping peacefully. Ron walked over to Hermione's bed, and kissed her softly on the forehead. Hermione murmured softly. Ron smiled when he noticed her eyes open.

"Everything okay?" she muttered sleepily, "With Rose?"

"Everything's fine, love," Ron said, "Rose is asleep in her crib."

"Mmm," Hermione said, "Okay. Love you."

"I love you too, beautiful," Ron smiled.

Hermione smiled and closed her eyes as she fell back to sleep. He decided not to inform her of the unexpected visitor yet. He'd take care of that when she was well-rested.

-  
><strong>Shorter chapter than I thought it would be. I decided to wait for Rose's first day at home until the following chapter. <strong>


	37. Welcome Home, Rose

**Chapter 37  
>Welcome Home, Rose<strong>

**(Ron's PoV – May 16****th****, 2006 – 6:00PM)  
><strong>

Ron signed his name on the final announcement letter, and rolled up the piece of parchment, and put it in the backpack he had brought along for the hospital stay. It was already filled with other rolls of parchment, all announcement letters. There were too many for a lone owl to carry by themselves, so he had decided that in the next couple of days, when he had free time, he would go to the Owl Emporium in Diagon Alley and use different owls to send them out.

His muscles were rather tense having been in the same seat for a good hour and a half straight, so he stood up and stretched. As he looked at himself in the mirror on the wall nearby, he noticed that he had faint black circles under his eyes, the sign of very little sleep over the past few days. He had also gained a bit of weight ever since he had gone on paternity leave. He would need to get in a bit of exercise before he would return to the Auror department in a month or so.

He walked over to the crib, and smiled as he looked down at Rose, who was fast asleep. Behind him, he heard low murmuring, and turned around to see Hermione's eyes slowly open.

"Good evening, sleepyhead," Ron said, smiling.

"Mmm, how long have I been asleep?" Hermione asked, as she sat up.

"A few hours," Ron said, "It is a little after six in the evening."

Hermione stood up and stretched.

"How is she?" Hermione said, her eyes on the crib.

"Like mother, like daughter," Ron said, chuckling. "She's been asleep almost as long as you have. Do you want anything? I could go down to the cafeteria."

"Not hungry yet," Hermione said, shaking her head, "I could use some tea though. Something to help me stay up for a few hours."

"Good idea," Ron said, "If you fall asleep again, you might not sleep too much tonight. I think I have some Muggle money, I'll be right back."

"One moment," Hermione said, raising a hand.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said.

She smiled and walked over to Ron and put her arms around him, then kissed him softly.

"Just wanted to tell you how much I love you," she said.

Ron grinned against her lips and returned the kiss.

"I love you too," he said, backing up, "I'll be right back."

Hermione nodded. She walked over to the crib, and Ron left the room. He headed down the hall and over to a couple of machines that served drinks and snack food.

"Hey, mate," Ron heard Harry's voice say, as he was filling a couple foam cups of tea.

Ron turned and saw Harry and Ginny walking down the hallway.

"Back again?" Ron asked.

"I told you we'd visit tonight," Harry said.

"Is Hermione awake?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, she just woke up from a nap," Ron said, "Harry, can I talk to you for a moment? In private."

"Sure," Harry said.

"I'll go and see how Hermione and Rose are doing," Ginny said.

"Take these with you," Ron said, handing the cups of tea to Ginny.

Ginny took them and walked past Ron and down the hallway.

"Something wrong, mate?" Harry asked.

Ron looked around for any eavesdroppers. When he was sure the hall was empty, he looked back at Harry.

"I had a visitor a couple hours ago," Ron said, "From the Daily Prophet."

"Here in this hospital?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "He wanted to do an article on the arrival of Rose."

"And you didn't want to talk to him?" Harry asked.

"Nothing like that," Ron said, "I gave him the information he wanted. That wasn't the problem. I guess one of the security guards here spooked him, because the guard who was accompanying him was under the Confundus Charm."

"He used it on a Muggle?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "He also used a Quick-Quotes Quill, and it was writing by itself, right out here in the hallway. I told him it was a breach of the Statute, and he apologized, but -"

"You still think he's shady?" Harry asked.

"Well, maybe not in that sense," Ron said. "But you know how those Daily Prophet reporters are. I'm afraid he'll post some kind of rubbish in that article about Rose. Hermione doesn't know about the reporter yet. I'm wanting to wait for that. She doesn't need those problems right now. She's already going to be under enough stress over the next few days."

"I tell you what," Harry said. "After we finish up here and I take Ginny home and see how James is doing, I'll go to the Ministry and see what I can do about this bloke. What's his name?"

"Hank Dinkle," Ron said.

"I've heard of him," Harry said, nodding, "He's a rookie. Not even a year under his belt. Don't worry, mate. You just focus on your daughter. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, mate," Ron said.

"How about we go see your wife before she gets too suspicious?" Harry said.

"Good idea," Ron said.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – May 16<strong>**th****, 2006 – 6:10PM)**

_After Ron left the room..._

Hermione leaned over the crib and gently picked Rose up. Rose immediately started to cry, as she opened her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione cooed, as she cuddled Rose against her, "I didn't mean to wake you up. I just wanted to hold you."

As she stood there, cuddling Rose and trying to help her fall asleep again, she felt a wet spot on Rose's diaper.

"Someone needs a nappy change," Hermione said, chuckling.

With a bit of difficulty, she picked up a towel from the nearby sink then walked over to the bed. She laid the towel on the bed, then gently laid Rose down onto it. She walked back toward the sink, and opened the cupboard above it and took out the essentials needed to change Rose. As she walked back over to Rose and started taking off her dirty diaper, she heard a light knocking sound on the door. She looked around and smiled when she saw Ginny walking into the room, with two cups of tea in her hands.

"Ron and Harry will be in here soon," Ginny said, as she walked over and set the tea on the bedside table, "Ron said he wanted to talk to Harry about something. Can't figure out what, but you never know with those two. Looks like its changing time."

"Yeah," Hermione said, as she smiled at Rose and started to wash her, "Just woke up a minute ago all cranky, didn't you?"

"I hear she's not the only one who has been sleeping all day," Ginny said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, frowning, "Feeding her wears me out some."

"I think Mum may have a potion recipe to help with that," Ginny said. "I'll write to her tonight and see what she can do."

"That would be quite helpful," Hermione said, "Thank you."

"So how is my brother adjusting to fatherhood?" Ginny asked.

"Very well, I think," Hermione said. "I woke up this morning and he was holding Rose in his arms. It was such a beautiful sight to see. Though... he's not very happy about our arrangements when it comes to who calls on Rose when she needs one of us. He's always on me about how I will need my rest and I explained to him that I'm the only one who can feed Rose right now."

"Harry was the same way about James," Ginny said. "I'm guessing Ron's got those new-daddy worries. Believing he's not up to the whole task of being a father."

"He mentioned something like that," Hermione said, nodding.

"That will pass," Ginny said, "If you have to, do a compromise with him. You take care of Rose during the night, when she needs you, and while you are catching up on some rest during the day, Ron can look after her. At least until he goes back to work."

"That is basically what he's been doing today when I'm napping," Hermione said, "So I think he'll be up to that. And... there, all finished."

She gently picked up Rose and cuddled her in her arms.

"How's that?" she asked Rose, "You happy now?"

Rose moved her head to the sound of Hermione's voice and looked up at her.

"I'm guessing that is a yes," Ginny said, chuckling.

Ginny cleaned up the left-over diaper, as Hermione laid back down on the bed, with Rose cuddled in her arms. She heard another tapping sound on the door, and looked up to see Ron and Harry walk in.

"There you are," Ginny said, "What was that all about?"

"Ron just wanted some fatherly advice," Harry said.

"Ron's a wonderful father," Hermione said, smiling up at her husband.

Ron smiled back. He walked over to Hermione, and kissed her on the forehead, then sat down in the chair nearest her bed.

"So when does this little one get to go home?" Harry asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Hermione said, "If everything checks out right."

"Bet you're excited about that," Ginny said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "It'll feel good to sleep in my own bed again."

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny talked for a while about different things that were happening outside the hospital, while Hermione was cooped up in there. Soon, Hermione realized she was hungry. She wanted to eat something before she had to feed Rose again. Ron treated everyone to a dinner of cafeteria food, and after dinner, Harry and Ginny decided they needed to leave and relieve James' babysitter of her duties for the day.

**(Ron's PoV – May 17****th****, 2006 – 7:00AM)**

Early the following morning, Ron was awoken, in his hospital hotel room, by a light tapping sound on the window. He yawned, sleepily, and stood up then walked over to the window. An owl was on the windowsill carrying an issue of the Daily Prophet. Ron opened the window and the owl flew in, then dropped the newspaper on the bed. Ron was about to offer it payment, but the owl flew back out the window. Ron shrugged and walked back over to the bed. He picked up the paper and something fell out of it onto the floor. He found that it was a small strip of parchment and he picked it up. It read:

_This is a free issue of the Daily Prophet, from myself, in hopes that this will make up for my rudeness yesterday during our meeting. I apologize for any inconvenience to you or your family that my unexpected arrival may have given you. The small article about your daughter is on the bottom of the front page of the paper. Once again, I give my congratulations to you and your family._

_With regards,_  
><em>Hank Dinkle, Reporter<em>

_Daily Prophet_

Ron picked up the Daily Prophet and found the article about Rose, then started to read it:

**Weasley Family Welcomes Little Girl**

_In the early hours on the evening of May 15th, the already large_ _Weasley family grew in size by one, in the form of a healthy baby girl. __Rose Marie Weasley was born to Ronald and Hermione Weasley, both __26, of London, England. Rose was born at the Kingston Hospital in __South London. We only spoke to the new father, who did not say __too much, but we believe that, because the new mother is __Muggle-born it was decided that their daughter would be born at __a Muggle hospital. For more information on the procedures __of childbirth in Muggle hospitals, see Page 4._

_Rose was born at seven minutes past the hour of seven in the __evening, and was registered at a healthy nine-and-a-half pounds __and twenty-one inches. This is the first child for the happy parents._

_The father, Ron Weasley,was quoted with saying_ _"Both myself and my wife are very happy. As is our family."_ _He followed up with the small request that any well-wishers who __wish to congratulate the happy parents on their new arrival __send their owl post to the Auror department, in which Mr. Weasley __is a respected member of the department and has been such __since the beginning of the new millennium._

_The new mother, who is the head of a department of the __Ministry that focuses their work on assisting House-Elves __in the community, was resting at the time of the interview. Mr. __Weasley has promised that photos of, and more comments about, __his new daughter, would come at a later date._

_We here at the Daily Prophet and the Ministry of Magic wish to __congratulate the new parents on the arrival of their daughter, and __hope that she grows up to be a wonderful member of the wizarding world._

Ron folded up the paper, then proceeded to pack his clothes in the suitcase he had brought with him.

-  
><strong>(Hermione's PoV – May 17<strong>**th****, 2006 – 7:15AM)**

Hermione woke up that morning to the sound of Rose crying in her crib. She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, then headed over to the crib.

"Mummy's here, Rose," she said, as she gently picked her daughter up, "What's wrong? You're not wet. Hmm... did you have a bad dream?"

Hermione carefully rocked her daughter back and forth in her arms. After a moment, Rose quieted down again and her lips formed a small smile. Hermione smiled back at her daughter. then returned to her bed and laid down carefully. Rose's mouth opened and closed, and Hermione realized what she wanted. She proceeded to unbutton her gown and helped Rose get closer to her. She was surprised when she didn't wince any at the movement.

"Well, how about that?" she said, chuckling, "I'm getting used to this. Is that what you wanted? I guess so, since you slept through the night. I'm not going to get used to that though. I'm sure before too long you'll be up quite a bit in the middle of the night."

Hermione heard a knocking sound on the door, and it opened as Ron walked into the room, carrying his suitcase. Hermione smiled at him.

"Breakfast time, huh?" Ron said, quietly, as he waked over to them.

"She slept through the whole night again," Hermione said, "Woke me up a couple minutes ago, and this was the first thing she wanted. I guess she's a bit like you in that sense."

"What?" Ron asked, chuckling, "I don't recall ever being that close to you this early in the morning. At least not recently."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I meant that breakfast is almost always the first thing on your mind when you wake up," she said.

"Oh," Ron said, "Well, you got me there."

She smiled and beckoned him closer with a finger. He obeyed and kissed her softly, and she kissed him back.

"I wonder who she's going to be more like between us," Ron said, as he walked over to the chair and sat down.

"What?" Hermione said, grinning, "You don't think she'll be more like me since she's a girl."

"Well, I wasn't going to put it that way," Ron said.

"Oh, I know you, Ron," Hermione said, "You're going to try to make her the next great Quidditch captain at Hogwarts."

"Well, I don't know about that," Ron said. "Knowing she has your genes, she'll probably be scared out of her wits to get on a broom."

"I'd probably be scared out of my wits to watch her on a broom," Hermione said.

"She's already like you in some ways, you know," Ron said.

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"Mmhmm," Ron said, "She's as beautiful as you are – maybe even a bit more, than you, if I may so - and she stole my heart just like you did."

Hermione grinned.

"You know," Ron said, "It's a good thing I'm an Auror."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"If she's as beautiful as you are," Ron said, "I'm going to have to use my Auror privileges to scare any boys away in about sixteen years or so."

Hermione rolled her eyes again, but chuckled anyway.

Around eleven that morning, Dr. Sterling checked up on Hermione and Rose and announced that they would be able to go home shortly. He requested that they stay for about another hour while he worked on the paperwork, and Hermione agreed, knowing it would give her enough time to pack and get ready to leave.

Ron left shortly after Dr. Sterling's visit, to call Hermione's mother. Helen arrived about a half-an-hour after the phone call, while Ron was helping Hermione pack up her things. When Helen walked in, she was carrying a large box with her.

"I went shopping yesterday," she said, "to pick up some diapers and things for Rose, and I found this cute little outfit for her. Thought she could wear it on her first day home."

Hermione took the box and opened it. Inside was full-bodied baby pyjama outfit. It was a dark pink and had a picture of a red-rose on the shirt. There were also some matching socks to go with it.

"Oh, it's adorable," Hermione said, grinning.

"I hope it fits her," Helen said, "I told the lady Rose's length, and she helped pick it out."

With a bit of assistance from Helen, Hermione proceeded to dress Rose in her new outfit.

"It looks great," Hermione said, when she finished. "She looks so cute in it. Thanks, Mum."

Helen smiled. A light tapping was heard on the door and Dr. Sterling walked in. He was carrying a note-board with some paper on it.

"I'll just take your suitcases and things out to the car," Helen said, "While you finish up."

"Thanks, Mum," Hermione said, "We'll be right out, I think."

Helen smiled and picked up the suitcase and duffle bag and walked past Dr. Sterling and out of the room. Dr. Sterling walked over to Hermione.

"Just have some final things for you to sign," he said, "Boring routine information and all of that. Also I have small packet here of information on what to expect for Rose's first year of life, as well as nutritious recipes and advice and tips to help you get your old body back, Hermione."

"I do miss my old body," Hermione said, chuckling, "That will be very helpful."

Hermione and Ron proceeded to fill out the information on the paper, then gave it back to Dr. Sterling.

"There is a wheelchair waiting for you just outside the door when you're ready to go," Dr. Sterling said. "Hospital policy, you know."

"I appreciate it," Hermione said, "Thank you for everything. I don't know what I'd do without you in these past few months."

"Happy to help," Dr. Sterling said.

"If we decide to have another child," Ron said, "We'll look you up."

Dr. Sterling smiled. He bowed his head in farewell and left the room.

"Already thinking about having another child?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well, not for a while," Ron said, "I miss your old body just as much as you do."

Hermione shook her head, chuckling. When she picked up Rose, she started to cry again, but Hermione rocked her gently in her arms and Rose calmed down. Ron picked up his backpack and they left the room. The wheelchair Dr. Sterling had mentioned was sitting against the wall. Hermione carefully sat down in it, and Ron pushed them down the hall and toward the parking lot.

-  
>At half-past-noon, they arrived back at the house. Ron helped Hermione get out of the car. During her shopping trip, Helen had bought a child-seat, which Rose was now sleeping in. Hermione carefully unbuckled the belt from around Rose and gently picked up her daughter. Rose woke up and cried softly, and Hermione calmed her down as they walked inside the house.<p>

While Ron brought in the suitcases and bags, Hermione walked around the house, giving Rose a tour of the rooms. This was more for Hermione's entertainment, then Rose's benefit, because Rose had fallen asleep half-way through the tour. Hermione ended up in her bedroom, and sat down on the bed, gently cuddling Rose against her.

Ron walked in, carrying a couple of bags, and Hermione watched him as he unpacked diapers and different things and stored them under the crib.

"Happy to be home?" Ron asked her.

"Thrilled," Hermione said, nodding, "Can't tell yet if Rose likes her room. She was asleep before I could show it to her."

"I'm sure she'll love it," Ron said, walking over to Hermione and Rose.

Ron gently stroked Rose's head, and Rose moved softly at his touch, though she remained asleep. Hermione beckoned Ron closer, and she kissed him softly on the lips.

"Hmm, Ron?" Hermione said, "Could you help me for a moment? I've been wanting to try this, but didn't want to do it until I was back in our own bed."

Ron nodded and walked over to Hermione. Hermione gently handed Rose to Ron, and he cuddled her against him. Hermione scooted into a comfortable laying position against her pillow.

"Lay her gently on her stomach," Hermione said, "On my tummy."

Ron raised his eyebrows, but he did as was told. Rose woke up again as Ron moved her, and she started to cry. Hermione motioned to her stomach, and Ron laid Rose gently on it. Rose calmed down instantly and laid her head down against Hermione's tummy. Hermione grinned when Rose closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

"I was right," she said, "She likes this."

"She does," Ron said, as he gently rubbed his hand across Rose's back, "She's very comfortable with you."

"She knows I'm her mother," Hermione said, smiling. "You know... I could definitely get used to this."

"Being a mother?" Ron asked.

"Not just that," Hermione said, "I mean this... her laying on me. It's so peaceful just watching her sleep like this."

"You're going to have to stay like that for a while," Ron said.

"I'm perfectly comfortable at the moment," Hermione said, grinning.

"Are you hungry?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I could use some normal food again."

"What do you want?" Ron asked.

"Mmm, surprise me," Hermione said.

"I hoped you might say that," Ron said. "Been a while since I picked out our meal."

Hermione grinned. Ron leaned toward her and kissed her softly. He then left the room. As she lay there, watching her daughter sleep on her rising and lowering stomach, Hermione's head filled with thoughts about her future as Rose's mother. She smiled as she started wondering what kind of life Rose would have, and hoped that it wouldn't be nearly as exciting or dangerous as her own was.

-  
><strong>As I was writing this, I realized I don't have too many more ideas for the story. I have enough for one more chapter, and it will be the epilogue of the story. It will happen in the not-so-distant future from <strong>**when this chapter finishes. I'll leave you guessing on what day that will be for a short while, and I'll try to get the last chapter up soon!**


	38. Epilogue: One Year Later

**Epilogue  
>One Year Later<strong>

**Author's Note: As you can see from the title of the chapter, the story skips ahead a full year from the previous chapter. To catch you up on what has happened, I start this chapter off with a summary of the first year. This will probably be a very short chapter. **

For the first couple of weeks of Rose's life, Hermione and Ron had to get used to a bit of a new routine. At different times of the night, Rose would wake up and start crying, and Hermione would get up and either feed her, or change her, or just help her get back to sleep. Hermione would take naps during the day, and during this time, Ron would take care of Rose. Mostly she'd end up in his arms, fast asleep, while he relaxed on the couch or chairs in the living room.

Helen and Hermione had planned out a routine for when Helen was needed the most, and for the first few weeks of Rose's life, Helen had stayed at the house during the weekdays and went home on the weekends.

Life had slowly returned back to normal, though not without its troubles. In the middle of June, when Rose turned a month old, Ron had finished his paternal leave and had returned to his Auror duties. Ron was sure Helen wanted to have her normal life again, so he hired a babysitter to help out Hermione when it came to Rose. The babysitter would be there with Hermione while Ron was at work.

The Auror duties were rather active for Ron, and most of the time, he had a full eight-hour shift. In the middle of July, though, about a month before Ginny's due-date for their new baby, Harry took his paternal leave, and Ron decided to be less active in his Auror duties, and took the easier tasks and did some desk-work as well.

On August 20th of 2006, Harry and Ginny welcomed their new son to the world. Harry named him Albus Severus Potter, after two of the Headmasters of Hogwarts. Because they had not opted to know what the gender of their baby until its due-date, they were happily surprised to find they had a new son.

In the middle of September, a couple days after her 27th birthday, Hermione returned to her job as the head of her department. The first thing she did when she returned to work was set up a nursery in her department. Rose's babysitter had been hired on into Hermione's department as the caretaker in the nursery. This decision proved to be a good one, because it meant that Hermione could do her work, and she could also tend to Rose's needs, such as feeding her, when it was needed.

By the time Rose's first Christmas came around, Rose measured in at a twenty-two inches long, and about 15 pounds. Dr. Sterling, who had stayed on as Rose's pediatrician said Rose was very healthy at this time, and she looked good for a baby girl who was a little over seven months old. Both Rose and Albus were the big focus during the Weasley family Christmas at the Burrow.

On March 1st, Ron's 27th birthday, Rose said her first word during Ron's party at the Burrow. Ron considered it his best present he ever received: Rose's first word had been "Dada".

-  
><strong>(Ron's PoV - May 15<strong>**th****, 2007)**

On the day of Rose's 1st birthday, Ron got off work around four and apparated into the Leaky Cauldron. Owing to the fact that he was not exactly a pro at deciding what to buy as gifts, even when it came to his own daughter, he hadn't gone shopping for any birthday gifts yet, and he knew he needed to do it now. Rose's first birthday party would be a private one that evening between Ron, Hermione and the birthday girl. The big family party for Rose would take place the following weekend.

"Hey, Ron," Tom said, as Ron passed by the bar, "Come over here a moment."

Ron shrugged and walked over to Tom.

"Rose's first birthday is pretty soon, right?" Tom asked.

"It's today," Ron said.

"Well, how about that?" Tom said. "I tell you what. I never been very good at doing gifts, myself, but for your little girl, I think I can do something. Will you be around here for long?"

"Going to Diagon Alley to buy a couple gifts for Rose," Ron said. "So yeah, probably for an hour or so."

"Do you have a birthday cake yet?" Tom asked.

"Actually I meant to pick one up," Ron said. "Thanks for reminding me."

"How about I make one for you?" Tom said. "It can be my gift. Does Rose like chocolate?"

"She's started to, I think," Ron said. "Hermione doesn't give her much. She's afraid it will make her too hyper."

"I'll make a mixed chocolate and vanilla cake," Tom said. "One of my specialties. How's that?"

"Sounds great, Tom," Ron said, "Thanks, I'll be back in an hour to pick it up."

"No problem," Tom said, "Just give the little one my best wishes, eh?"

"Sure," Ron said, smiling.

Ron headed through the back door of the restaurant and over to the brick wall. He tapped the wall, and the barrier into Diagon Alley opened. As Ron walked down the cobbled walkway, he saw Ginny walk out of Quality Quidditch Supplies. She was pushing a stroller, where little Albus was asleep in. Every time Ron saw Albus, he couldn't help but think was going to look exactly like Harry.

"Hey, sis," Ron said, walking up to her.

"Ron, I thought you'd be at home getting ready for Rose's party," Ginny said.

Her surprised expression turned into a grin.

"You forgot to buy Rose a gift, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I did."

"I could help you with that if you wish," Ginny said. "I'm just finishing up here. Preparing to do my part in the Quidditch World Cup next month. Just signed up for the chance to be the announcer for it. James is visiting Mum, so I decided to bring Albus along with me."

"I could use a bit of help," Ron said, nodding. "I have a few ideas, but nothing too big. I need a big gift."

"How about a broomstick?" Ginny asked, grinning.

"Mmm, I don't know," Ron said. "Hermione's not really up to Rose becoming a Quidditch player."

"Oh, come on," Ginny said, "James loves the one you gave him. He keeps chasing Kreacher around the house with it."

Ron laughed at the thought of that.

"Okay, you convinced me," Ron said. "But if Hermione's mad at me for it, I'm blaming you for it."

"Do you have to?" Ginny asked, "I don't want to get on her mad side right now."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Well," Ginny said, "You know, she's -"

"She's what?" Ron asked.

Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, she hasn't -" Ginny stammered. "Er – I mean – well, you know how she is around broomsticks, right?"

"Okay," Ron said, "I'll just leave the blame on me if she's unhappy with it."

"I better get going," Ginny said. "Albus is pretty tired and he probably wants to be in his own crib. I'll see you Saturday for Rose's big party."

"See you, sis," Ron said.

Ginny smiled and pushed Albus' stroller away and up the cobbled street. Ron headed into the Quality Quidditch supplies store to get one of Rose's presents.

-  
>An hour and a half later, after buying gifts and the cake Tom had made for Rose, Ron returned home.<p>

"Hermione," he said, walking into the house, "I'm home."

"I'm in the restroom," Hermione called out, "I'll be out in a moment. Can you check on the oven for me? Dinner's cooking in it. Don't want it to go to waste. Then check on Rose. She's in the playpen in the living room."

"Sure," Ron said, "I bought a cake for Rose."

"Just put it on the counter for now," Hermione said.

Ron walked into the kitchen. He set down the bag of gifts on the table. He put the cake on the counter near the stove. He then opened the oven and saw a roast cooking in the kitchen. It smelled delicious but looked like it would need a bit more time to cook. Ron then walked into the living room, and over to the playpen, where Rose was playing some toy blocks.

"There's my birthday girl," Ron said.

Rose looked up at Ron and giggled. She raised her arms up and Ron smiled and picked her up.

"Oh, you are getting heavy," Ron said, chuckling, Did you miss your Dada?"

"Dada," Rose said, nodding.

"I thought so," Ron said.

"Aww, cuddling up against her daddy," Hermione said, in the entrance of the living room.

"Yeah," Ron said, "Seems to be our routine the past couple of days."

"Probably having one of those positive forms of daddy issues," Hermione said, grinning,

"Jealous, are we?" Ron asked.

"Maybe a little," Hermione said.

She smiled and walked over to Ron. He leaned toward her and kissed her softly. Rose cooed softly, and Ron chuckled, backing away.

"Sorry, Rose," Ron said, "I forgot."

He carefully lowered her back into the playpen.

"She's getting so big," Ron said, as he set Rose down, "I'm always so surprised at that."

"Dr. Sterling weighed her today," Hermione said. "She's twenty-three pounds, and a little over two feet in length."

"You went to Dr. Sterling today?" Ron asked, looking back up at Hermione, "I thought her check-up wasn't until next week."

"It wasn't," Hermione said, sighing, "But things changed."

Ron looked down at Rose, then back to Hermione.

"Did something happen?" Ron asked, "She seems all right,"

"She's perfectly healthy, Ron," Hermione said, "That wasn't why I went."

Ron looked up at Hermione. Thoughts started clicking in his mind. Ginny had seemed worried about not wanting to make Hermione upset. He remembered Ginny looking confused when he wondered what she was talking about. Also, Hermione looked a bit pale as she stood there.

"Hermione," Ron said, slowly, "What's going on?"

"Rose is going to have a little brother or sister," she said. "I'm pregnant!"

Ron did his best to stay standing, and he put his arms around Hermione to do so. He hugged her and kissed her softly.

"You're pregnant?" Ron asked. "Again?"

"I've been thinking I was for a few days now," Hermione said, "But I wasn't sure. I wrote to Ginny and she told me to talk to Dr. Sterling."

Ron nodded. That was how Ginny had known.

"But I would have noticed your symptoms this time," Ron said.

"They weren't that bad this time," Hermione said. "I've been able to control them more."

"Pregnant," Ron said, "Wow."

"I'm due in November," Hermione said, grinning.

"You ready for this again?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Definitely. You?"

"I know what I'm going to be dealing with now," Ron said, grinning.

He looked back down at Rose, and picked her up again.

"What do you say?" he asked her, "Would you like a brother or a sister?"

Rose giggled and cooed.

"She seems happy about it," Ron said.

"That makes two of us," Hermione said, grinning.

Ron leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly on the lips once again.

"Three of us," he said.

-  
><strong>Story finished! I looked up when Hugo was supposed to be born, and Wikia says he was born sometimes between late 2007 and sometime in 2008, so I decided late 2007.<strong>

**I'm sure a few of you are wondering if I will do a sequel. I'm thinking about it, but I'm not sure. If I do, it won't be another pregnancy fic. It could be Rose's first year at Hogwarts along with Scorpius and Albus' as well. I don't have the ideas for a story yet, so it might take a while to get started. Or it might not come at all. Not sure.**

**Also, for those of you who have followed my other stories, such as Old Magic, I'm going to attempt to continue Old Magic, but I'm not sure how it will go. We'll see what happens.**

**I want to thank all of my reviewers for giving me wonderful feedback. Thank you all for reading my story. This is the first pregnancy fan-fic I've ever done, and I was wanting to do one for a while now, but I didn't think I'd do too well at it. Turns out I did pretty well.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the story! Thank you all once again!**


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